After a difficult period during which people around the world suffered as a result of the “Covid-19” pandemic, people who test positive for the virus no longer need to routinely stay away from others for at least five days, as was previously the case.
Yesterday, Friday, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued new directives exempting those infected with the disease from quarantine, in a break with a previous strategy imposed around the world, which experts said was important to control the spread of infection.
It explained that it is working to update its recommendations regarding “Covid-19” to bring them in line with its advice regarding other types of respiratory infections, such as influenza and respiratory syncytial virus.
Meanwhile, agency experts said during a press conference yesterday that providing one set of unified guidelines will make people more committed to them, according to what CNN reported.
They also pointed out that people infected with “Covid-19” should “stay at home” until they have been free of fever without medication for at least 24 hours and their symptoms have improved.
After that, normal activities can be resumed, but with the necessary precautions taken during the five days following infection – including improving ventilation, wearing a mask, and limiting close contact with others to reduce the risk of spreading the virus.
These enhanced precautions are especially important for people who come into contact with certain groups, such as the elderly or those with immune diseases such as cancer.
While the Director of the Center for Disease Control, Dr. Mandy Cohen, explained that the Center changed its directives because most of the United States population now has some immunity to Covid-19, and as a result, the country is no longer witnessing large waves of infections, hospitalizations, and deaths resulting from the Corona virus.
On the other hand, some experts rejected the new recommendations, as Dr. Ellie Murray, an assistant professor of epidemiology at the Boston University School of Public Health, said that it is reasonable to want to treat “Covid-19” like other respiratory viruses, but you cannot simply ignore the science.
She pointed out the need to adhere to safety instructions to avoid the spread of the virus again, saying: We have learned a lot about how respiratory diseases spread and the best ways to control them during the epidemic… but instead of applying these lessons to help protect people from other diseases such as influenza, this retreat from precautions. Sends a harmful message.
In turn, Dr. Eric Topol, founder and director of the Scripps Research Institute, said: I completely disagree with the idea that there are no exceptions for Covid-19. “The overwhelmingly abundant evidence on this virus over the past four years tells us that it is a much more dangerous disease than influenza, which lacks seasonality, continues to evolve, and has caused long-term illness in tens of millions worldwide.
It is noteworthy that in 2021, at the height of the pandemic, there were 2.5 million hospitalizations due to “Covid-19,” and in 2023, this number decreased by 60% to 900,000 hospitalizations.
2024-03-02 09:30:48
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