The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said Wednesday that those who have been fully vaccinated against the coronavirus and who “meet the criteria” no longer need to be quarantined after exposure to someone with COVID-19. The CDC said the update applies to fully vaccinated people who have received the last dose in the past three months and have remained asymptomatic since the COVID-19 exposure.
“Individuals who do not meet all three of the above criteria should continue to follow current quarantine guidelines after exposure to someone with suspected or confirmed COVID-19,” the agency said, noting that while the risk of transmission from vaccinated individuals is uncertain remains, vaccines have been shown to prevent symptomatic COVID-19.
In addition, individual and societal benefits of avoiding unnecessary quarantine may outweigh the potential but unknown risk of transmission, and facilitate the communication of public health resources to those most at risk of transmitting SARS-CoV-2 to others. to give, ”said the CDC.
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The agency recommended that fully vaccinated individuals who do not go into quarantine should monitor for symptoms for an additional 14 days after exposure and that those who do develop symptoms should still be evaluated and tested. It also recommends that fully vaccinated individuals continue to adhere to public health measures.
The update applies to fully vaccinated people who have received the last dose in the past three months and have remained asymptomatic since exposure to COVID-19.
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Later in the update, the agency noted that vaccinated patients or those living in health care facilities should still be quarantined after exposure because of a higher risk of serious illness and death among this population.
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“While not preferred, health care facilities could consider forgoing quarantine for vaccinated patients and residents as a strategy to mitigate critical issues when other options are unsuccessful or unavailable,” the agency said.
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The update was posted on the same day that the CDC released additional guidelines regarding masks, including data on wearing two masks instead of one. In particular, the agency found that wearing a cloth mask in addition to a surgical or medical mask was up to 95% effective in preventing aerosol transfer in a simulated laboratory experiment.