HAMPTON ROADS, Va. (WAVY) — The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has changed its longstanding five-day isolation guidelines.
“What we’re seeing is that it is safe and appropriate to treat these infections like we do other respiratory diseases like influenza or RSV,” said Dr. Michael Oshiki, Riverside Regional Medical Center president. “This just brings COVID in line with the way we would treat other respiratory infections.”
According to the CDC, we are seeing fewer COVID-19 hospitalizations and deaths in the U.S..
“Most people aren’t as severely ill as they were, say, two years ago when it was at the height of the severe illnesses and the death,” said Karen McGoldrick, clinical infection preventionist at Sentara Leigh Hospital.
While COVID-19 cases have improved, illnesses haven’t completely disappeared in our area hospitals.
“It has been a pretty rough respiratory illness season,” McGoldrick said. “Whether it’s COVID, flu, RSV and all the other things, we’re still seeing a lot of patients with those. It’s kind of leveling off, but it’s also not dropping off.”
Still, the CDC director said we have made “progress” in protecting severe illness associated with COVID-19. That is evidence in the hospitalization and death numbers going down.
All this prompted the guideline change.
The public health agency said you can return to work or regular activities if your symptoms are mild, getting better and it’s been 24 hours since you’ve had a fever without fever-reducing medication.
When you return, you’re encouraged to mask up an additional five days after you feel better.
“You should still realize that you might still be contagious and you should mask or be in well-ventilated areas, et cetera,” McGoldrick said.
Said Oshiki: “Wear a mask, don’t do things that might put others at risk.”
Oshiki said the shift is emphasizing preventing the spread of the flu, RSV, COVID-19 and other respiratory illnesses.
“The biggest thing remains doing the things that prevent infection,” Oshiki said. “So getting vaccinated, washing your hands, not going to work or school if you’re sick. It’s important to do the right things to avoid transmitting the virus. Cough into your cough or sneeze into your sleeve.”
McGoldrick said no matter what, if you are sick, just stay home.
“The most important thing is that people just stay home if they’re feeling ill and don’t feel like ‘I have to go to work or I already had this planned and I can’t not show up,'” McGoldrick said, “because sometimes we’re in denial of realizing how sick we might be. It’s just important to stay home if you’re sick.”
