As the summer heats up, new variants of the coronavirus are causing an increase in cases and emergency room visits in many areas across the country.
According to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), a set of COVID strains nicknamed “FLiRT” variants are spreading across the U.S. The variants identified as KP.1.1, KP.3, and KP.2 account for more than 54% of COVID cases in the U.S., according to the CDC’s latest variant tracking data.
As cases and hospitalizations rise, what should you do if you do get infected? If you had COVID in the past months or years, the guidelines are likely different now than they were back then, as the CDC introduced significant changes earlier this year.
Here’s what you need to know:
In March, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) updated its COVID-19 guidelines to align with those for other respiratory infections. The CDC said that people with COVID-19 no longer need to stay away from others for five days, effectively lifting the five-day quarantine recommendation.
If your symptoms are mild and improving, and it’s been a day since you had a fever, you may be able to return to work or your usual activities, but the CDC still recommends that anyone with symptoms stay home.
“It is recommended that people return to normal activities once their symptoms have improved overall for at least 24 hours and fever, if present, has subsided without the use of fever-reducing medication,” the guidelines state.
Even after activities resume, the CDC recommends “additional prevention strategies” such as wearing masks and maintaining social distance for an additional five days.
The agency says people should try to prevent infection in the first place by taking measures such as getting vaccinated, washing their hands and getting more fresh air outdoors.
As part of its guidance, the CDC suggests:
- stay Keep your vaccinations up to date To protect people from severe illness, hospitalization and death, including influenza, COVID-19 and respiratory syncytial virus infection where applicable.
- Practice good hygiene Take steps to prevent the spread of infection by covering your mouth when coughing or sneezing, washing or sanitizing your hands frequently, and cleaning frequently touched surfaces.
- For clean airThis includes bringing in fresh air, purifying the air indoors, and gathering outdoors.
The shift comes at a time when COVID-19 is no longer the public health threat it once was, dropping from the third-leading cause of death in the United States early in the pandemic to 10th last year.
Most people have some immunity to the coronavirus from previous vaccination or infection, and some experts say many are not following the five-day quarantine guidelines.
