WILLIAMSPORT, Pa. — This week, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shortened the recommended isolation and quarantine period for individuals affected by COVID-19 from 10 to 5 days.
The move comes as coronavirus cases continue to rise.
"So, really, a five-day period is probably adequate as long as they are asymptomatic and as long as they wear a mask for an additional five days," said Dr. Gerald Maloney, the Chief Medical Officer of Hospital Services at Geisinger Medical Center.
According to medical experts, there is evidence that people with the coronavirus are most infectious in the two days before and three days after symptoms develop.
Here are the guidelines under the new CDC recommendations:
1. Regardless of vaccination status, if you test positive for COVID-19, you must quarantine for five days. If you show no symptoms after five days, you can leave quarantine. You are asked to wear a mask for the next five days.
2. If you have received the vaccine or the booster in the last six months and were exposed to COVID-19 and are showing no symptoms, then you do *not have to quarantine.
3. If you are unvaccinated or received the vaccine MORE than six months ago and were exposed to COVID-19, you should quarantine for a minimum of 5 days. If you are showing no symptoms after the five-day period, then you can end quarantine.
"Someone without any symptoms who tested positive for whatever reason, after two or three days they are probably not going to pose any sort of risk, and if they wear a mask they pretty much negated that risk," said Dr. Maloney.
Most of the new cases around the United States are of the Omicron variant. Dr. Maloney says this variant could cause a surge in cases.
"It is much easier to transmit than the Delta variant and the original SARS COVID-2 infection," said Dr. Maloney.
Medical experts fear that a winter surge could force more people to quarantine, meaning there would be fewer people to work. The hope is that a shorter quarantine period for healthy individuals would take the stress off the hospitals and businesses.
Officials at the Williamsport Lycoming Chamber of Commerce hope the new recommendations will solve staffing issues for local businesses.
"Hopefully, this will allow them to get their doors opened quicker. Because you are seeing some that have had to shut down for periods of time just because they haven't been able to fully staff," said Jason Fink, the CEO & President of the Williamsport-Lycoming Chamber of Commerce.
People who are symptomatic and have tested positive for COVID-19 should continue to quarantine for the normal 10-day-period or five days after symptoms stop.
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