#coronavirus isolation

[gumjrop]

On February 13, 2024, the Washington Post reported that the CDC is considering ending the five-day isolation period for those with a COVID infection according to anonymous CDC staff. It is imperative that the CDC minimally maintains current isolation guidelines to prevent the unnecessary spread of COVID.

Why is the five day isolation period necessary? The five-day isolation period has allowed people infected by COVID to rest and recover from illness and prevent the exposure and spread of COVID to uninfected people. Ideally, a ten-day isolation period is better to ensure an adequate amount of time for rest and recovery.

Allowing your immune system sufficient time to fight the infection is important. Rest and recovery from an active COVID infection is important, as physical overexertion can have adverse effects on one’s health. Even if vaccinated, boosted, and healthy, a COVID infection can greatly harm one's health, and may lead to Long COVID, a condition that has harmed and disabled millions of Americans.

Prevention of exposure to and spread of COVID requires a minimum five-day isolation period. Clear evidence demonstrates that in the course of an active COVID infection, the highest viral load occurs approximately by day 4 of an infection. Some people may have their symptoms end earlier than others, however, early symptom resolution does not necessarily mean the end of infectiousness, as asymptomatic COVID transmission can occur. Ultimately, by preventing COVID infections, the likelihood of people becoming severely ill from COVID, as well as those who will develop long COVID, will be greatly reduced.

The CDC will be considering and making a decision by April. During this time, we urgently ask Congress and the White House to intervene and ensure that the CDC maintains the current COVID five-day isolation policy. 

Instructions:

We must ask Congress and the White House to ensure the CDC maintains the current 5 day isolation policy for COVID infection. It is important that the CDC maintains its current policy to ensure that the American people have enough time to rest and recover from an active COVID infection, as well as to prevent the spread of COVID to other people. Rest and recovery is important, as an infection can have adverse effects on health. Even those vaccinated, boosted, or healthy could face irreversible harm from COVID. Having multiple infections has the potential to increase the risk of developing Long COVID, a condition that has already injured and disabled millions of Americans. Submit a letter to your government officials via Action Network!

Letter to White House and Congress

Example Letter Below:

Dear Representative,

I am writing to ask you to ensure that the CDC maintains the current isolation policy for those with an active COVID infection, as this protects the health and well being of all Americans at work, school, and all other places of gatherings.

COVID infections injure, harm, and cause death among millions of Americans. Everyone must be protected from COVID infections. COVID is spread through the inhalation of aerosol particles, and the risk of becoming infected is higher in indoor settings compared to outdoor settings. Due to its mechanism of spread, the current 5-day isolation policy is a primary key layer of protection for prevention, as opposed to other approaches against infections in public settings. 

Shortening the isolation window is a failure to recognize the clear scientific evidence that people may have the highest viral loads by day 4 of an infection.(1) For some people, their symptoms may abate below the 5-day time window, but they may remain infectious.(2)

The public relies on guidelines that establish sufficient standards in workplaces and other places of gathering. It ensures protection in vulnerable settings, such as healthcare, long-term care facilities, schools, and workplace settings. COVID remains an ongoing pandemic and threat to the health of the American people. Ongoing reinfections result in more people developing Long COVID.(3)  Any consideration to reduce or eliminate the COVID isolation guideline inexplicably fails to acknowledge core control measures for infectious disease. Any changes prevent the public’s ability to have a standard threshold for rest and recovery from a COVID infection. 

We ask for your support to ensure that the CDC prioritizes the health of people first. We urge you to act on the behalf of all people, especially for those who are most vulnerable. This includes those with advanced age, the immunocompromised, those living with other health conditions, disabled people. Let’s decrease infections in our communities by keeping scientific and evidence-based isolation guidelines.

References:

1. Jennifer K Frediani, Richard Parsons, Kaleb B McLendon, Adrianna L Westbrook, Wilbur Lam, Greg Martin, Nira R Pollock, The New Normal: Delayed Peak SARS-CoV-2 Viral Loads Relative to Symptom Onset and Implications for COVID-19 Testing Programs, Clinical Infectious Diseases, Volume 78, Issue 2, 15 February 2024, Pages 301–307, https://doi.org/10.1093/cid/ciad582

2. Rinki Deo, Manish C. Choudhary, Carlee Moser, et al. Symptom and Viral Rebound in Untreated SARS-CoV-2 Infection. Ann Intern Med.2023;176:348-354. [Epub 21 February 2023]. doi:10.7326/M22-2381

3. Bowe, B., Xie, Y. & Al-Aly, Z. Postacute sequelae of COVID-19 at 2 years. Nat Med 29, 2347–2357 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41591-023-02521-2.

Submit Letter to Government Leaders

#op #covid #covid pandemic #covid news #covid 19 #covid-19 #covid isolation #coronavirus #coronavirus pandemic #pandemic #uspol #cdc #people's cdc #pcdc #covid isn't over #covid recovery #img #links #described in alt text

[odinsblog]

The fucking CDC went from, “please quarantine and self-isolate for 10 days,” to “back to normal back to work now self-isolate for only 5 days,” to “stay your mf ass at work even if you do have Covid, none of that self-isolation bs”

Idgaf what the cdc says you better stay your mf ass home

#politics #idgafwtcdcsybsymfah #coronavirus #cdc #covid-19 #capitalism #self isolation #quarantine

[theamatuer]

I wonder if it’s a sign of our inherent loneliness in this capitalistic puritanical society that we keep creating characters that are forcibly possessed by an otherworldly creature and end up loving/becoming co-dependent on them to the point where the character is STILL isolated, but this time from the society that isolated them in the first place. At least they got a ride or die buddy now.

The crazy thing, too, is that fact that these characters were created before the pandemic even struck. I’m curious to know what our art will look like through hindsight in the next couple decades.

#malevolent #venom 2018 #isolation #loneliness #coronavirus

[toshootforthestars]

From the report by Beth Mole, posted 29 Feb 2024:

In a lengthy background document, the agency laid out its rationale for consolidating COVID-19 guidance into general guidance for respiratory viruses—including influenza, RSV, adenoviruses, rhinoviruses, enteroviruses, and others, though specifically not measles. The agency also noted the guidance does not apply to health care settings and outbreak scenarios. "COVID-19 remains an important public health threat, but it is no longer the emergency that it once was, and its health impacts increasingly resemble those of other respiratory viral illnesses, including influenza and RSV," the agency wrote. The most notable change in the new guidance is the previously reported decision to no longer recommend a minimum five-day isolation period for those infected with the pandemic coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2. Instead, the new isolation guidance is based on symptoms, which matches long-standing isolation guidance for other respiratory viruses, including influenza. "The updated Respiratory Virus Guidance recommends people with respiratory virus symptoms that are not better explained by another cause stay home and away from others until at least 24 hours after both resolution of fever AND overall symptom are getting better," the document states. "This recommendation addresses the period of greatest infectiousness and highest viral load for most people, which is typically in the first few days of illness and when symptoms, including fever, are worst." The CDC acknowledged that the eased isolation guidance will create "residual risk of SARS-CoV-2 transmission," and that most people are no longer infectious only after 8 to 10 days. As such, the agency urged people to follow additional interventions—including masking, testing, distancing, hygiene, and improving air quality—for five additional days after their isolation period. "Today’s announcement reflects the progress we have made in protecting against severe illness from COVID-19," CDC Director Dr. Mandy Cohen said in a statement. "However, we still must use the commonsense solutions we know work to protect ourselves and others from serious illness from respiratory viruses—this includes vaccination, treatment, and staying home when we get sick." Overall, the agency argued that a shorter isolation period would be inconsequential. Other countries and states that have similarly abandoned fixed isolation times did not see jumps in COVID-19 emergency department visits or hospitalizations, the CDC pointed out. And most people who have COVID-19 don't know they have it anyway, making COVID-19-specific guidance moot, the agency argued. In a recent CDC survey, less than half of people said they would test for SARS-CoV-2 if they had a cough or cold symptoms, and less than 10 percent said they would go to a pharmacy or health care provider to get tested. Meanwhile, "The overall sensitivity of COVID-19 antigen tests is relatively low and even lower in individuals with only mild symptoms," the agency said. The CDC also raised practical concerns for isolation, including a lack of paid sick leave for many, social isolation, and "societal costs." The points are likely to land poorly with critics. “The CDC is again prioritizing short-term business interests over our health by caving to employer pressure on COVID guidelines. This is a pattern we’ve seen throughout the pandemic,” Lara Jirmanus, Clinical Instructor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School, said in a press release last month after the news first broke of the CDC's planned isolation update. Jirmanus is a member of the People's CDC, a group that advocates for more aggressive COVID-19 policies, which put out the press release. Another member of the group, Sam Friedman, a professor of population health at NYU Grossman School of Medicine, also blasted the CDC's stance last month. The guidance will "make workplaces and public spaces even more unsafe for everyone, particularly for people who are high-risk for COVID complications," he said.

But, the CDC argues that the threat of COVID-19 is fading. Hospitalizations, deaths, prevalence of long COVID, and COVID-19 complications in children (MIS-C) are all down. COVID-19 vaccines are safe and effective at preventing severe disease, death, and to some extent, long COVID—we just need more people to get them. Over 95% of adults hospitalized with COVID-19 in the 2023–2024 respiratory season had no record of receiving the seasonal booster dose, the agency noted. Only 22% of adults got the latest shot, including only 42% of people ages 65 and older. In contrast, 48% of adults got the latest flu shot, including 73% of people ages 65 and older. But even with the crummy vaccination rates for COVID-19, a mix of past infection and shots have led to a substantial protection in the overall population. The CDC even went as far as arguing that COVID-19 deaths have fallen to a level that is similar to what's seen with flu. "Reported deaths involving COVID-19 are several-fold greater than those reported to involve influenza and RSV. However, influenza and likely RSV are often underreported as causes of death," the CDC said. In the 2022–2023 respiratory virus season, there were nearly 90,000 reported COVID-19 deaths. For flu, there were 9,559 reported deaths, but the CDC estimates the true number to be between 18,000 and 97,000. In the current season, there have been 32,949 reported COVID-19 deaths to date and 5,854 reported flu deaths, but the agency estimates the real flu deaths are between 17,000 and 50,000. "Total COVID-19 deaths, accounting for underreporting, are likely to be higher than, but of the same order of magnitude as, total influenza deaths," the agency concluded.

(say no to raw dough: CDC)

#please stay safe #the vaccines are safe #yes the covid shot is safe #covid is not a hoax #covid causes permanent long term damage to your body even if you're healthy #news #scicomm #science #ars technica #covid--19 #coronavirus #beth mole #pandemic #the cdc #centers for disease control #5 day covid isolation #yes you should stay home for at least 5 days if you test positive for covid #Open windows to ventilate indoor space with outdoor air to prevent virus transmission #Wear a mask that doesn't touch your lips #keep distance from others

[quixoticanarchy]

I’d like to clarify one thing about CDC’s updated covid guidelines (as of mid-August 2022): yeah imo they’re absurd and dangerous, but I’ve seen a particular misunderstanding float around that could make things worse. 

Quarantine and isolation are not the same thing. This point has been thoroughly confused by a lot of bad media coverage and messaging, but quarantine is for after you’ve been exposed; isolation is for after you test positive. CDC now says you no longer have to quarantine if you’ve been exposed, regardless of your vaccination status. To be perfectly clear I still think this is stupid, and they should recommend quarantining for at least 5 days after an exposure, if you’re able to do so. But the point I see people confused over is this: ���CDC says you don’t have to quarantine if you have covid!” Technically, that’s true... but it’s because quarantine is about exposure, not having covid. CDC does still recommend that you isolate for 5 days after you test positive. (Again, I also think this is bad advice, and you should isolate for 10 days or at least until you test negative.) 

But a big reason I flag this is, for instance, if your boss says you can come to work with covid “because the CDC says so—” No. they do not. CDC still says that you should isolate if you have covid. Don’t let people use this confusion over quarantine/isolation to push for even more unsafe conditions, and don’t take it as carte blanche to be careless while you yourself are sick. 

Caveat: I wouldn’t be shocked, unfortunately, if CDC loosens their guidance even further in the future, and believe me I am well aware that people have been flouting the quarantine and isolation guidelines all along. But the point is, you should know the difference before it’s used against you, and so you can try to keep yourself safe[r]. 

#covidposting at work once again folks. sorry #I’ve just seen this misconception too often & i could see this being misused (whether intentionally or not) to put ppl even more at risk #‘cdc says you don’t have to quarantine if you have covid’ is missing the point bc they have never said that #you don’t quarantine if you have covid; you isolate. quarantine is about exposure #i'm very unhappy about cdc’s guidance don’t get me wrong!! but pls hate cdc accurately at least #(like they would’ve known the guidance would be misinterpreted like this. they did enable that) #coronavirus #public health #covid 19 #skravler #and yeah obv if your job wants to exploit you they will regardless but technically cdc's guidelines are not on their side

[mrkaempferherz]

Und jetzt auch noch Corona... Geht es noch beschissener in diesem Jahr ?

#coronavirus #krank #isolation #gedanken #leben #herz #sorgen #angst #distanz

[lesbiansandgayssupporttheminers]

Btw, my "low ability" Y9s can tell you that stopping isolation for those who test positive for covid is a stupid idea.

But I guess they don't benefit financially from pretending covid is over.

Most of them have had covid, and don't want to catch it again.

#uk politics #coronavirus #covid-19 #self isolation #covid rules #the kids are alright

[mabryart]

extraordinarily pissed that all the COVID Alert / Exposure Notification systems are suddenly down, discontinued, deleted. just because we are in management mode rather than emergency mode … that doesn’t mean. that we should instantly be removing ALL THE TOOLS we have used to manage the pandemic so far. What the fuck

#hey look who’s making like their first original post in a decade #at three am when I should be packing or sleeping #cant even think right now. head empty just anger #mabry speaks #coronavirus #idk man. idek how widely these have been used but they’ve helped me immensely with knowing when to isolate #also kinda pissed that this hasn’t become a normalized way of tracking other diseases. such useful tech and just. poof

[bythebonefire]

love how Ms. Rona waited over 2 years to hit me and coincidentally decided to suckerpunch me while i’m halfway across the country and flying back tomorrow.

#we're driving back over two days 8`) #we were able to secure a car rental at least #i'm trying to secure cat sitting for a few more days but i'm just. #ugh so stressed out and feeling awful #so um. tags probably not happening for a little bit since we'll be driving basically all day #love you booskis #we're getting moved to an isolation hotel. off to covid jail! #coronavirus ///

[cesium-sheep]

frustrated that the cdc guidelines mean that even if I did take my prednisone to feel well enough to go anywhere with matt, I wouldn’t be able to, since the prednisone would make me more vulnerable to infection and apparently we’re all about fucking personal fucking responsibility now so it’s my job to fucking protect myself because no one else gives a shit above an individual level anymore.

#coronavirus #there are plenty of individuals who give a shit! #and god fuckin bless y'all! #but no matter how many adequately thoughtful individuals there are at target on any given night #I still can't fuckin go. #yes I know I bring up target a lot I have always loved going to target okay #I texted matt abt the update and he just said we'll go somewhere isolated.

[gumjrop]

The Weather

Twenty-seven US states remain at High to Very High levels of SARS-CoV-2 detected in wastewater since February 28, 2024, with five states not reporting.

Wastewater levels are decreasing throughout the country except in the Midwest. The South is still experiencing extremely high transmission. As a reminder, the last two weeks, shown in gray, are provisional data. These values may change as additional wastewater sites report data.

Despite these ongoing high levels of transmission in most of the country, and in defiance of pleas from civil society to protect the most vulnerable among us, the CDC has once again decided to walk back already insufficient protections – this time in the form of isolation guidance. It announced on Friday at 1 pm that it will repeal the 5-day isolation period for COVID-19 and instead treat COVID-19 like it does other respiratory viruses like flu and RSV, linking isolation length with symptomatology and fever. This policy, of course, is not based on the best evidence–just vibes and a lack of care for those of us still dying (1000s weekly) and still becoming disabled by Long COVID. 

Last week, the CDC recommended that people 65 years and older should receive an updated booster. It did not approve a booster for other people in high-risk categories because they didn’t bother studying the benefits and risks in these groups.

Wins

OK. So it’s been a rough week. But you know what? We are all fighting back. We see you all making calls, creating and signing petitions, joining and expanding Mask Blocs, creating and distributing zines, and making your own air-cleaning systems. We see so many more masked, tested, and ventilated events than we used to! We are mobilizing collective power to keep each other safe and to transform this state. 

Next week, March 11, will mark the 5th anniversary of the declaration of the pandemic. We’re not where we should be, but this pandemic has radicalized a lot of us. Keep connecting. Keep finding your people. Keep going. We will win. 

Oh! And check out these Free COVID-19 and flu test vending machines in King County, Washington!

Variants

JN.1 is still the most dominant variant circulating in the United States and is projected to account for 92.3% of all circulating variants by March 2nd, 2024. Two JN.1 descendants, JN.1.13 and JN.1.18, are now the second and third most common circulating variants, projected to be at 3.3% and 1.8%, respectively.

To check for circulating variants within your community, you can find your HHS Region through the CDC Variant Tracker dashboard.

Long Covid

In an article published in Science, Drs Ziyad Al-Aly and Eric Topol reviewed the perplexing case of Long COVID. They discuss the lack of consensus and systematization when it comes to the classification of the disease, partly due to its different mechanisms and manifestations. For example, younger adult and female Long COVID patients are more likely to be afflicted by fatigue, dysautonomia, brain fog, and post-exertional malaise, while older patients are more likely to deal with cardiovascular and metabolic complications. They also discuss the current potential treatments for Long COVID, but express that since nonpharmaceutical interventions have been neglected, vaccines are the only available therapy. However, vaccines are unable to prevent Long COVID. Ultimately, they state that the only way to prevent Long COVID is by ending COVID transmission, such as by administering pan-variant neutralizing intranasal vaccines.

On March 15, 2024, the Long COVID March will be taking place in Washington D.C. at the Lincoln Memorial. The march is intended to mobilize Long COVID patients and allies to demand acknowledgment and policy changes from the government. You can read the march’s mission statement, which includes a list of objectives. 

Take Action

Join us in demanding the CDC reinstate the 5-day COVID isolation policy. Despite the guidelines having already been dropped, we must still fight for adequate protections from COVID to safeguard our communities from harm. Make your voices known by sending a letter to the White House and your elected officials through our Action Network. The People’s CDC will also be implementing other action items in the coming weeks, so look out for those!

Today is COVID Memorial Day, in which we remember the 1.2 million lives lost to COVID in the United States, and show solidarity with the millions living with COVID grief and Long COVID. Check out Marked by COVID to learn more or to participate in today’s virtual vigil.

Again, we must continue to contact our elected officials to demand a ceasefire in Gaza, and we must continue to wear and require the wearing of high-quality respirators such as N95s and KN95s at protests and within organizing spaces. 

#op #covid #covid19 #covid-19 #covid 19 #long covid #long covid march #covid memorial day #coronavirus #sars-cov-19 #covid isn't over #pcdc #people's cdc #cdc #centers for disease control #covid isolation #covid pandemic #coronavirus pandemic #pandemic #covid news #pandemic news #mask up #coronavirus news #ceasefire now #palestine #covid is not over #public health #uspol #img #described in alt text

[elextric-eye]

Umm anyone else get dizzy with covid?? Kind of freaking out rn haha ha help 🫠

#covid19 #covid 19 #covid #coronavirus #dizzyness #dizziness #symptoms #illness #disease #cold #flu #fyp #coughing #idk what tags to add lol #lockdown #isolation

[the-plural-of-cris-is-crises]

#current mood #coronavirus cw #COVID cw #I have COVID #everything's fine so far though. Symptoms are just like a cold so far except for my light sensitivity yesterday #fever broke some time last night or this morning #mostly coughing sinus issues and dizziness right now #I'm taking care of myself and isolating and everything #I lasted a long time without getting COVID but you know #airports #Hm #Youtube #but I'm listening to this song because I'm feeling dramatic

[lorib643]

Even Faint Lines are Positive

Still testing positive.  A faint line is still positive. I come out of isolation Friday.  It is sooo boring just hanging out in my room. Thankfully, my husband and daughter are still negative. I gave a month notice at work but now I have 2 weeks.  2 weeks to get what I can done.  I feel like it is all piling up.while I lsu here, bored I was offered some volunteer opportunities. One was…

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#boring #coronavirus #covid #Covid19 #hearing #hearing aids #isolation #peer support #support groups #test

[blindedbythedarkness]

me: i just gotta keep going. this pandemic has got to end eventually, right? therapist: yes but will you still have your sanity by then?

me:

therapist: i can see that you're clinging onto your sanity by your fingernails right now

me:

me:

me:

me: :))))))))

#part of me wonders what would happen if i did just totally lose it #hoo boi #she right though #pandemic #shielding #covid #coronavirus #isolating #self isolating #clinically vulnerable #sars cov 2 #sarscov2 #public health #covididiots #therapy #counselling #depressed #depression #suicide #suicidal thoughts #suicidal #sanity #loss #grief

[alfonsonogueroles]

THE NEW LIFE

Fiction/Experimental, HD, 2min, color, sound, 2020.

images/editing: Alfonso Nogueroles

Sometime, somewhere, in the Past Life, you did things you’ll never do again. You met people and went places that didn’t make it into the New Life. Memory, remembering, is a dying art form.

In the time of COVID, Siri will tell you what your life is about.

#short film #experimental #COVID #coronavirus #siri #isolation #video #short #Vimeo