The CDC released new COVID-19 guidelines Dec. 2, reducing the previous 14-day quarantine recommendation for people who were exposed to 10 days without symptoms, reports CBS.
The recommendation is further reduced to seven days for people without symptoms who also receive a negative test. The CDC maintains the full 14-day quarantine guideline whenever possible and encourages continued symptom monitoring if people end quarantine sooner. The shortened quarantine is an effort to get more people to comply.
"Reducing the length of quarantine may encourage more people to do so, especially when they may not be able to work during quarantine time," Henry Walke, MD, the CDC's COVID-19 incident manager, said during a Dec. 2 press briefing. "As we learn more about the virus, we continue to refine our guidance."
The median time from exposure to symptom onset is four to five days, although in some cases it can take up to 14. John Brooks, MD, the CDC's chief medical officer, said the "residual risk" of someone exposing someone else after quarantining for 10 days is only about 1 percent.
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