CDC Could Start Recommending A Shorter Covid Quarantine. Here’s Why.

Topline

Federal health experts could start asking people exposed to the coronavirus to stay at home for just seven to 10 days, down from the two-week quarantine that’s currently recommended, the Wall Street Journal reported Tuesday — a possible shift the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention hopes will lead to more people following experts’ suggestions.

Key Facts

Crucial Quote

“We do think that the work that we’ve done, and some of the studies we have and the modeling data that we have, shows that we can with testing shorten quarantines,” Walke told the Journal.

Big Number

4-5 days. That’s the median amount of time it takes for symptoms to develop after patients are first exposed, according to several studies cited by the CDC. This “incubation period” can sometimes last more than 12 days, but those situations are rare.

Tangent

The United States is not the only country to mull shorter Covid-19 quarantines. In recent months, France halved its two-week isolation period, and Germany and Spain lopped four days off of their two-week quarantines, arguing people often disregarded the rules when they were harsher. The World Health Organization still recommends two weeks of isolation.

Key Background

As coronavirus cases spike to record highs in the United States, public health officials have struggled to convince people to follow social distancing rules. Many states lifted their stay-at-home orders in the spring and gradually allowed restaurants and stores to reopen, and politicians are reluctant to reimpose any economically damaging restrictions. Plus, more than a million Americans are traveling for Thanksgiving this week, disregarding strong warnings from the CDC to stay at home. Some experts worry about a wave of “Covid fatigue” that’s causing homebound Americans to take risks at a time when caution is crucial.

Further Reading

CDC Finalizing Recommendation to Shorten Covid-19 Quarantines (Wall Street Journal)