The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is set to make changes in COVID-isolation guidelines – possibly as soon as April.  The changes will put an end to recommendations that people with COVID quarantine for a five days period.   Instead, people with mild or improving symptoms – would be able to exit isolation if they’re fever-free for at least 24 hours; the changes would not apply to hospitals – OR – any OTHER healthcare settings with vulnerable populations.

Those changes are being made due to different reasons:  

JN.1:  the current dominant variant DOES NOT appear to be causing more severe illness; increased hybrid immunity from vaccinations and exposure to the virus; and concerns people weren’t following isolation guidelines to begin with.

COVID isolation guidelines have not been updated since December 2021, when isolation time was slashed from 10 to 5 days; it’s believed the virus is most transmissible in the first two days before symptoms start and the two to three days after they appear.

Currently – COVID isolation can end after five days IF the person has no symptoms or if the symptoms are improving and you’ve been fever-free for 24 hours.  If not – or you’ve had more severe symptoms – such as the shortness of breath or were hospitalized, it’s highly recommended that you continue with isolation.