All about the CDC and COVID isolation time

CDC COVID Isolation Guidance: MRC Fact Check

Headlines and social media have reacted strongly to a report that the COVID isolation guidelines might be relaxed to one day instead of five. As happens, the story got pretty twisted around as reports ricocheted around the Internet.

We asked the Vashon Medical Reserve Corps (MRC) to answer some of the questions we're hearing around town.

Have the isolation guidelines changed?

No, at least not yet. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has been reported to be considering a change, but it may be a month or two before the CDC makes a decision. The initial report was leaked prematurely before the CDC had time to go through its usual process of gathering comments from scientists, advisory panels, and the public. Many prominent scientists have strongly objected to the proposal. A change is merely under consideration, not final.

So, what new information has come out that leads the CDC to consider changing the five-day isolation guideline?

The COVID virus becomes more infectious with each new variant. If you get infected, you can spread COVID to others for a period of five to 12 days, even if you don't have symptoms. There are still 300 people dying from COVID every day in the United States, and every one of those people caught COVID from someone.

Thankfully, deaths are down from the peak when more than ten times as many people were dying daily, but 300 deaths a day is still a big number. To put it in local terms, ten people are hospitalized every day in King County because of COVID. One of those ten will die from it.

Even though COVID remains a major public health risk, for most people the consequences don't appear as severe as they once were, if the health risks from long COVID are not factored in (each COVID infection increases the risk and severity of long COVID).

Death and hospitalization rates are down from their recent peak in December, and most people have acquired some protection because they've had COVID at least once or have been vaccinated. The new vaccine released in the fall has proved to be very helpful — preventing nearly all serious infections and half of symptomatic infections.

Understandably, many people are just plain tired of COVID safety measures and they want to be at work and school and social events. However, scientific evidence may not support going "back to normal" just yet.

What's the CDC considering? I heard it's only one day of isolation.

We don't know for certain because the CDC has made no public comment about what they're considering. We do know that California and Oregon have replaced the five-day isolation guidance with staying home until symptoms are improving and the patient has been free of fever for 24 hours. It's likely the CDC is considering something similar.

Are public health experts supportive of the proposed change?

Some experts say current guidance is rarely followed, so it's time to accept that reality. Others fear the new guidance will lead to less testing and more infections. In addition, a new focus on the presence or absence of fever raises concerns about disease spread by those with minimal or no symptoms (about 40% of cases) who we know from studies have similar viral loads to those with more significant symptoms.

What should I do about isolation?

Make a personal risk decision. Avoid people you know are sick. If you spend time with elderly friends or relatives, or people who have compromised immunity, keep in mind that you are highly likely to be infectious if you have COVID. You can spread it to others. You might have mild or no symptoms, but if you infect your friends and family, they may suffer worse effects of COVID.

For now, the CDC's and Vashon MRC's recommendations remain unchanged:

• Test at onset of symptoms, and again 48 hours later.
• Isolate for a minimum of five days regardless of symptoms.
• Best practice is to continue to isolate until a home test is negative.
• Wear an N95 mask and avoid contact with those at risk for 10 days.

Prepare in a Year: Smart911 Household Communications Tip

We've added a great tip to this month's Prepare in a Year project. It's called Smart911. And, it's absolutely free. You can register your household or workplace at smart911.com.

When you call 911, you expect the emergency operator to automatically know your location. That's true if you are calling on a landline. However, if you call on a cell phone the operator only gets a general location, not an exact address. Registering a profile at Smart911 puts your cell phone number and address on the operator's computer screen. If you call from an address other than the one you registered, you'll still need to let the dispatcher know your location — always a good idea for any emergency call.

Getting first responders to the right location could make the difference between life and death. King County provides more information here.

You Can Help Your Neighbors

Thanks go out to an alert reader who shared this new Smart911 addition to the household communications project. You too can help your island neighbors by sharing what you've learned at tinyurl.com/ShareMonthOne.

Do You Need Help?

How's it going with this month's Prepare in a Year project for household communications? Did you designate a point of contact, make contact cards, and sign up for alerts? Feel free to ask us questions here.

23 Years Ago: The Nisqually Earthquake

At 10:54 a.m., Feb. 28, 2001, the Nisqually earthquake struck. Shaking lasted almost one minute. The magnitude was 6.8, and the Mercalli intensity was VIII (Severe) – meaning people would find it difficult to stand and very heavy furniture would be shifted.

Fortunately, damage on Vashon was not bad, compared to other Puget Sound locations where many unreinforced masonry buildings ruptured. The control tower at SeaTac airport was heavily damaged, as was the capitol dome in Olympia. An estimated 400 people were injured and damage totaled more than $2 billion.

Although they occur infrequently, earthquakes are the first type of hazard people often imagine when thinking about preparedness. What can you do? Practice 'Drop, Cover, Hold on.' Find out if your home, workplace, or school is seismically retrofitted. Assemble a go-bag, and follow other Prepare in a Year tips.