CDC guidelines now treats covid like the flu

Closing in on the four years since much of the world seemed to shut down during the initial global onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has dropped the five-day isolation guideline for the virus.

According to the CDC, the guidelines for COVID-19 are now in line with those of influenza, RSV and other respiratory illnesses, advising those feeling sick to stay home and return to work or school after being fever-free for 24 hours.

https://www.nbcchicago.com/news/local/cdc-explains-changed-covid-guidelines-2024/3370894/

link to [url]https://www.nature.com/articles/s41579-022-00822-w[/url] or https://www.nature.com/articles/s41579-022-00822-w;

Although the process of human-to-human transmission is multifactorial, viral load substantially contributed to human-to-human transmission, with higher viral load posing a greater risk for onward transmission. 

Emerging SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern have further complicated the picture of virus shedding. As underlying immunity in the population through previous infection, vaccination or a combination of both has rapidly increased on a global scale after almost 3 years of the pandemic, viral shedding patterns have become more distinct from those of ancestral SARS-CoV-2. 

Understanding the factors and mechanisms that influence infectious virus shedding and the period during which individuals infected with SARS-CoV-2 are contagious is crucial to guide public health measures and limit transmission. 

Furthermore, diagnostic tools to demonstrate the presence of infectious virus from routine diagnostic specimens are needed.

DJ, it looks like the pattern for CoViD may be shifting from "direct disease/symptoms" to more risk of long term illnesses...

CoViD/Corona-virus does simply NOT behave like a flu-virus. A.o. immunity after flu may limit flu...new variants of CoViD keep showing up...CoViD is -for that matter- NOT limiting itself...(non-sterilizing vaccines may result in variants able to undo any kind of immunity...at the long run increase risks...). 

link; [url]https://www.forbes.com/sites/judystone/2024/03/01/cdc-drops-five-day-covid-19-isolation-despite-controversy/[/url] or https://www.forbes.com/sites/judystone/2024/03/01/cdc-drops-five-day-covid-19-isolation-despite-controversy/

The CDC says, “While every respiratory virus does not act the same, adopting a unified approach to limiting disease spread makes recommendations easier to follow.”

This is likely true, and it eliminates the need for testing for specific respiratory viruses, which is important since tests are expensive and not readily available for RSV in the U.S. However, Covid-19 is not like RSV or influenza, particularly given the long-term organ damage caused by the SARS2-CoV virus. That issue is not addressed by the CDC.

DJ Practical reasons dealing with all respitory virusses the same way...however -again- CoViD is NOT a flu !

Transmission risk

People can’t judge whether they are infectious or not. Fever is not a good barometer for Covid-19. While most transmission occurs early in the illness, 20 to 40% of people can still transmit COVID after five days, and some even longer. That’s why many experts, such as Boston immunologist Michael Mina, have recommended serial Rapid Antigen Tests to stop isolation. If you have a positive RAT, you can transmit infection. Some people test positive for even two weeks, and occasionally even longer if immunocompromised.

Including a test would be wise & welcome...

A-I Good you brought it up ! Sick-leave in many countries is that bad people go to work when they are ill...! 

I believe in the UK sickleave is 30% of last wages...here in NL it is 70%...even that may hardly cover costs of rent, groceries, medication...

[url]https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Otto_von_Bismarck#Legacy_and_memory[/url] or https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Otto_von_Bismarck#Legacy_and_memory ;

Bismarck was a conservative or "white revolutionary". He taught conservatives to be nationalists and supporters of welfare programs, thereby enlarging their base of support and weakening the socialist movement.

DJ, lots of countries did get sick-leave laws in the 19th century...partly because public health ideas did grow...stop spreading diseases. Partly also to limit trade unions etc. 

........maybe another point in this discussion...Here in NL CoViD numbers are quite low...Maybe CoViD now more active in some regions/some variants ? 

[url]https://www.euromomo.eu/graphs-and-maps[/url] or https://www.euromomo.eu/graphs-and-maps has excess deaths the highest in 0-14 y/o...school age. 

Deaths in 2024 higher even than previous pandemic years...So the age in need of much better guidelines most may be the very young and most unvaccinated...