The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued new guidance last month, shifting the timing for isolation and quarantine as some experts say the timeframe when people are most contagious is earlier. Five days from symptoms or a positive test, 31% of people with COVID-19 were contagious, they said. One study reported that almost all people with COVID-19 who have symptoms will show those symptoms within 11.5 days, the CDC added. At the end of the period, if you have no symptoms, you can return to normal activities but must wear a mask everywhere even at home around others for at least five more days. For those without symptoms, CDC guidance states they are considered contagious at least two days before a positive test. The analysis, published in the journal Eurosurveillance, found that, assuming the attendees were infected at the party, the average incubation period was three days. I absolutely dont want to sit next to someone who turned Positive 5 days ago and hasnt tested [negative]., Original reporting and incisive analysis, direct from the Guardian every morning, 2023 Guardian News & Media Limited or its affiliated companies. That means that Day 1 is the first full dayafteryour symptoms developed. The study was carried out before Omicron became the most common variant. Once that period ends, they should partake in strict mask use for an additional five days. A shorter incubation period makes a virus much, much, much harder to control, Jennifer Nuzzo, an epidemiologist at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security, observed in The Atlantic that same month. If you had symptoms, the CDC says you can be around others after you isolate five days and stop exhibiting symptoms. "It looks very much like XBB.1.5, which is the dominant variant in the U.S. and has been the dominant variant here and in many other countries for some time," Dr. Andy Pekosz, a virologist at Johns Hopkins University, tells TODAY.com. Here Are Some Unusual Symptoms in Kids to Look Out for in the New COVID The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently shortened its isolation guidelines, citing evidence that COVID is most contagious 1 to 2 days before someone starts feeling symptoms and 2 to 3 days after. All rights reserved, Burglaries Reported at More Than a Dozen Restaurants, Bars in Chicago, Police Say, Interstate 55 Remains Closed in South-Central Illinois After Dust Storm Causes Deadly Crash, Portillo's Adds New Menu Item to Restaurants Nationwide and It's Now Available, How Much Could You Get in New $725M Facebook Settlement? The fast-growing COVID-19 variant already has a . However, some experts, including Young, have raised concerns over the shift in rules in the US, noting there is no requirement for a negative Covid test before ending self-isolation. It is highly contagious. What public health officials had to learn on the fly when that variant first arrived last winter was how it differed from the original Covid strain. Long COVID risk likely lower from a second infection than a first - NPR In the US, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has recently cut the recommended self-isolation period to just five days provided the person has no symptoms at that point. The doctor noted that, in general, symptoms appear to be shorter and milder in the vaccinated compared to the unvaccinated. I havent heard of any long-term consequences (to the eyes). In addition, analysis of an Omicron outbreak at a Christmas party in Norway last month looked at over 100 attendees, the majority of whom ended up being infected with the virus. Top editors give you the stories you want delivered right to your inbox each weekday. You can also search for this author in PubMed If you still have symptoms after isolating for five days, stay home until you feel better and then start your five days of wearing a mask at all times. Access your favorite topics in a personalized feed while you're on the go. One caveat, Pekosz notes, is that the level of testing has decreased, and fewer cases are being sequenced compared to even just a year ago. When the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) halved its recommended isolation time for people with COVID-19 to five days back in December, it said that the change was motivated by science. If you are concerned about your symptoms or believe they are getting worse, you are advised to visit 111.nhs.uk, call 111 or call your local GP surgery. People who have COVID-19 symptoms should get tested immediately if possible. A new COVID-19 Omicron sublineage, XBB.1.16, is slowly spreading in the United States. Both Young and McLean agreed that the UKHSA data was the "best available" if you're not sure whether you're infectious, with the caveat that it wasn't exact for every case. The US has announced it is cutting the recommended self-isolation time with Covid to five days. If you still have symptoms after isolating for five days, stay home until you feel better and then start your five days of wearing a mask at all times. Generally, people are most contagious in the early stages of their infection . Three key theories, The next variant: three key questions about whats after Omicron, COVID's future: mini-waves rather than seasonal surges, Surveillance of SARS-CoV-2 at the Huanan Seafood Market, Adeno-associated virus type 2 in US children with acute severe hepatitis, Are repeat COVID infections dangerous?