Will Shortened Isolation Periods Spread the Virus?

[Lexy]

The decision by federal health officials to shorten isolation periods for Americans infected with the coronavirus drew both tempered support and intense opposition from scientists Tuesday, particularly over the absence of a testing requirement and fears that the omission could hasten the spread of the highly contagious omicron variant.

The new guidance, coming amid a crush of new infections that has starved many hospitals of workers, seemed to some scientists like a necessary step to shore up workforces in essential industries. And encouraging people to leave isolation early after testing negative could spare them the hardships of prolonged periods at home.

But letting hundreds of thousands of infected people forgo those tests — even if, crucially, their symptoms were not entirely gone — risks seeding new cases and heaping even more pressure on already overburdened health systems, experts said Tuesday.

https://www.yahoo.com/news/shortened-is ... 54980.html

[Momto2boys973]

This part here is wrong, because the guideline is specifically for asymptomatic cases. And the science is sound, as studies have shown that the highest rate of transmission is early in the infection, 1-2 days before symptoms appear and 2-3 days after, making 5 days total maximum. The CDC also recommended to wear a mask for 5 days after leaving isolation.
So I think it’s a good recommendation looking for a healthy middle ground between minimizing the spread and avoiding major labor shortages.
The drawback is that it does depend on the level of personal responsibility and accountability of the person, as well as their interest in protecting others, and unfortunately we have seen a lot that many people don’t give a crap and put their rights above the greater good.

The decision by federal health officials to shorten isolation periods for Americans infected with the coronavirus drew both tempered support and intense opposition from scientists Tuesday, particularly over the absence of a testing requirement and fears that the omission could hasten the spread of the highly contagious omicron variant.

The new guidance, coming amid a crush of new infections that has starved many hospitals of workers, seemed to some scientists like a necessary step to shore up workforces in essential industries. And encouraging people to leave isolation early after testing negative could spare them the hardships of prolonged periods at home.

But letting hundreds of thousands of infected people forgo those tests — even if, crucially, their symptoms were not entirely gone — risks seeding new cases and heaping even more pressure on already overburdened health systems, experts said Tuesday.

https://www.yahoo.com/news/shortened-is ... 54980.html