CDC issues guidance on isolation, precautions for COVID-19

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently issued new guidance titled “Duration of Isolation and Precautions for Adults with COVID-19.” The guidance is noteworthy for employers. Previously, the CDC had generally indicated that individuals could potentially return to work following a positive test after spending 14 days in isolation and being fever-free for 48 hours without the aid of medication. The agency now recommends a symptom-based, rather than a testing-based, strategy for ending the isolation if current evidence suggests the individuals are no longer infectious. Let’s take a closer look.

New guidance

According to the CDC, reliable data now shows:

• Most persons infected with COVID-19 (i.e., those with mild to moderate symptoms) are no longer infectious 10 days after the first onset of symptoms; and
• Individuals with a more severe or critical illness are no longer contagious after 20 days following the first onset of symptoms.

Based on the data, the agency says there is justification for shortening the isolation period measured from the onset of symptoms so that those who are no longer infectious “are not kept unnecessarily isolated and excluded from work or other responsibilities.”