CDC’s new guidance to drop isolation of positives to 5 days without a negative test is reckless
Some ppl stay infectious 3 days,Some 12
I absolutely don’t want to sit next to someone who turned Pos 5 days ago and hasnt tested Neg
Test Neg to leave isolation early is just smart
I am 100% for getting people to drop isolation early.
Heck, I formally recommended it to CDC in May 2020 and Published the recommendation in J of Clin Infectious Diseases in April 2020.
But it was always with a negative test.
What the heck are we doing here?
2/
This is the part that hurts the most. The reason they are doing this:
"The change is motivated by science demonstrating... SARS-CoV-2 transmission occurs... generally in the 1-2 days prior to onset of symptoms and the 2-3 days after"
That was BEFORE OMICRON.
3/
Today, it is OBVIOUS the situation has changed.
Ppl are testing earlier b/c symptom onset is early - no longer two days after people are infectious.
So now people are staying positive even longer after testing positive, because they find out earlier they are positive.
4/
And by positive I don't mean PCR positive. I mean rapid antigen test positive for days longer. Often more than 10 days.
So to say, leave isolation regardless of if you have a positive antigen test is remarkable.
5/
Someone KNOWN to be Pos for 5 days is, in my view, still one of the highest risk individuals in society for onward spread. We do SO much just to find ppl who are positive in first place. When we do identify them, we should do everything possible to keep them from spreading
6/
At least, If leaving isolation at 5 days w/out Neg test - WEAR N95 or similar performing mask
Govn't should provide them to everyone who enters isolation (along with a rapid test!)
If entering isolation - click a button & get N95 & rapid test SIMPLE
The thing that really hurts me the most - is that not requiring a positive rapid test to leave isolation is probably linked to a perception of not having enough rapid tests in the US...
Which is obviously a massive problem in its own right but one that is EASILY changed.
9/
We CAN get the tests
We CAN. Many countries are getting these and more.
This doesn't have to be a hard decision:
In Isolation? Yes --> Click a button --> Get 2 rapid tests delivered to you for free for use on day 5 and if still neg on day 6, exit.
Importantly, the amount of virus on your sample is only one aspect of an infection and infectiousness
Some ppl may be infected but have no virus in their nose, for example, and not detectable on any nasal swab test including PCR - Probably not particularly infectous if so.
Others could be starting to become infectious but not yet positive on a nasal swab is another example. In that case it highlights of course that any test gives you a snapshot in time.