Quarantine for Just One Day… A Controversial U.S. Decision on COVID-19
After a difficult period in which people around the world suffered from the COVID-19 pandemic, those who test positive for the virus no longer need to isolate for at least five days as was previously required.
On Friday, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released new guidelines reducing the isolation time for people infected with COVID-19 — a significant shift from previous global strategies that experts had considered essential for containing the spread of the virus.
According to the CDC, this update aims to align COVID-19 guidance with that for other respiratory illnesses such as influenza (flu) and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV).
At a media briefing, CDC experts stated that a single, unified set of guidance for all respiratory infections would make it easier for the public to follow health recommendations consistently.
🔹 Only 24 Hours
The new guidance specifies that people who test positive for COVID-19 should stay home until they have been fever-free for at least 24 hours without medication and their symptoms have improved.
After that, they may resume normal activities, but should take precautions for the next five days, including:
improving air ventilation,
wearing a mask,
and limiting close contact with others — especially with elderly individuals or those with weakened immune systems (such as cancer patients).
This elevated level of self-protection is particularly important for reducing the risk of transmission among vulnerable groups.
🔹 Reason for the Change
Dr. Mandy Cohen, Director of the CDC, explained that the agency updated its recommendations because most Americans now have a level of immunity — either from vaccination or previous infection — and the country is no longer seeing large spikes in infections, hospitalizations, or deaths from COVID-19.
🔹 Experts Criticize the New Guidance
However, some health experts have criticized the CDC’s decision.
Dr. Ellie Murray, assistant professor of epidemiology at the Boston University School of Public Health, stated:
“It’s reasonable to want to treat COVID-19 like other respiratory viruses, but you can’t simply ignore the science.”
She emphasized the continued importance of health precautions to prevent the spread of COVID-19 and said:
“We’ve learned so much about how respiratory diseases spread and how best to control them. Instead of applying that knowledge to protect people from other viruses like the flu, this change sends the opposite message — one that could cause harm.”
Likewise, Dr. Eric Topol, founder and director of the Scripps Research Translational Institute, said:
“I completely disagree with the idea that COVID-19 is no longer exceptional. Four years of evidence show us that it remains far more dangerous than the flu — it’s not seasonal, it continues to spread, and it has caused long-term illness in tens of millions of people worldwide.”
🔹 Statistics
In 2021, around 2.5 million people were hospitalized with COVID-19 in the United States.
By 2023, that number had dropped by 60% to about 900,000 hospitalizations.
🔹 Conclusion
The CDC’s new policy represents an attempt to simplify COVID-19 management and treat it similarly to the flu. However, many experts warn that COVID-19 remains a serious and long-lasting disease that should not yet be regarded as a routine respiratory infection.
The Health Workers Union – Akre Branch published this report to raise public awareness about the ongoing debate and its implications for public health.