The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention eased many of its guidelines for Covid-19 this week, moving sharply away from some of the precautions, including quarantine and social distancing, that have long defined the pandemic.
The move was prompted by the fact that many Americans already have some immunity to the coronavirus — through a combination of vaccination and previous infection — and the availability of vaccines, booster shots and antiviral drugs that can reduce the risk of severe illness.
Part of the public health agency’s goal in issuing the new guidance was to streamline recommendations and help people manage their own risk, officials said. But the guidelines are still complex and contain many nuances.
Here are answers to some common questions about what the guidelines mean for you.
Do I still have to stay six feet away from strangers?
The CDC hasn’t completely abandoned the idea of social distancing — instead, the agency suggests keeping your distance from others as one of many strategies people can use to reduce their risk.
The old guidelines recommended that people who were not up to date on their vaccinations “stay at least six feet away from other people” in indoor public places.
The agency now recommends that people “may want to avoid crowded places” or keep their distance from others to minimize their exposure to the virus. This precaution may be especially important for people who are at high risk of severe Covid-19, the agency notes.
Do I still need to wear a face mask?
The general guidelines for masks have not changed. The CDC still recommends that everyone age 2 and older wear a well-fitting mask in public indoor spaces when the local community level of Covid-19 is high. People who are at high risk of severe illness should also wear a mask when their communities are at a moderate level, according to the guidelines.
Nearly 40 percent of counties in the United States are at a high community level, according to the CDC
What should I do if I have been exposed to the virus?
As a precaution, the CDC recommends that people who are not up to date on their vaccinations and have been in close contact with someone with Covid-19 stay home for at least five days, a practice known as quarantine. (People who were up to date on their vaccines did not have to quarantine if they were asymptomatic, according to previous guidelines.)
Gone is the quarantine recommendation, one of the biggest changes in the new guidelines.
“Quarantines are kind of a blunt instrument,” said Jennifer Nuzzo, director of the Pandemic Center at Brown University’s School of Public Health. “I really think we need to change the way we think about controlling this virus.”
Now, people who have been exposed to the virus can go about their daily lives, regardless of their vaccination status, as long as they remain symptom-free. However, they must wear a well-fitting mask for 10 days, monitor themselves for symptoms, take extra safety precautions around vulnerable people and be tested at least five days after exposure.
If you use an antigen test at home, you may need to test yourself multiple times. To reduce the risk of false negatives, people who don’t have symptoms should get at least three tests, each 48 hours apart, according to a new recommendation from the Food and Drug Administration. People who have symptoms of Covid-19 should get at least two tests 48 hours apart.
“Your viral load goes up once you’re infected,” said Dr. Michael Mina, a former Harvard epidemiologist who is now chief scientific officer of eMed, which sells at-home tests. “It goes up and it takes time.”
What should I do if I test positive for the virus?
Isolate at home for at least five days and keep your distance from others in the family. This recommendation has not been changed.
If you have remained symptom-free during your stay in isolation — or if your symptoms are improving and you have been fever-free for at least one day — you can leave isolation after day 5, as directed.
The CDC previously recommended that people with Covid-19 wear a mask for 10 full days. Under the new guidelines, people can take off their masks earlier if they test negative on two rapid antigen tests taken at least 48 hours apart. Others should continue to mask for 10 days.
People who have moderate to severe illness or have a compromised immune system should self-isolate for at least 10 days, the agency said.
If symptoms reappear after isolation, people must start their isolation periods all over again, according to the new guidelines.
What does this mean for schools and offices?
In theory, the new guidelines could free many schools and businesses from some of the restrictions that have been difficult to implement, including navigating a different set of rules for vaccinated and unvaccinated people. Quarantines are particularly disruptive and divisive in schools.
Under the new guidelines, children who have been in close contact with someone who has Covid-19 should not stay home and schools should not implement frequent testing to keep these children in the classroom, an approach known as “testing for contact tracing and routine surveillance testing of asymptomatic people are no longer necessary in most settings, the CDC said.
In reality, the new guidelines may not change much in many schools that have been increasingly moving away from these measures. Massachusetts, for example, lifted quarantine requirements for asymptomatic children in May.
Still, some districts and officials are taking cues from federal guidelines, which could lead some localities to relax their rules for the next academic year.
“We welcome these guidelines,” Randy Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers, said in a statement Thursday. “Every educator and every parent starts each school year with great hope, and this year even more so. After two years of uncertainty and disruption, we need as normal a year as possible so we can focus like a laser on what children need.”
In an email to The New York Times on Friday, the New York State Department of Health said it is reviewing the CDC’s new recommendations and will issue its own guidelines for returning to school “soon.”
The New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene said Friday it is also reviewing the new federal guidelines and is still finalizing plans for next school year.
CDC guidelines say schools experiencing outbreaks may want to temporarily adopt additional precautions, including surveillance testing, contact tracing, wearing a mask and opening windows and doors to improve ventilation.
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