After more than two years of a pandemic that has progressed to the endemic stage and after 99% of Americans have recovered due to innate immunity from earlier infection, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has completely reversed course on Covid-19 limitations.
The CDC on Thursday relaxed several of its guidelines for combating the coronavirus, a tactical change that shifts responsibility for preventing viral spread from institutions like schools, corporations, and other organizations to people.
A big update from @CDCgov today is the CDC recommendations no longer differentiate based on a person’s vaccination status – acknowledging breakthrough infections are common, and taking natural immunity into consideration.
— Nicole Saphier, MD (@NBSaphierMD) August 11, 2022
Schools and other organizations are no longer required to routinely check kids and staff who appear to be in good health. Less emphasis is being placed on social isolation by the CDC. Its non-vaccinated person quarantine policy is no longer in place.
The majority of individuals, who at this moment have some protection against the virus and are unlikely to become really ill, are not the agency’s primary concern at this time; rather, it is extremely susceptible to groups and how to safeguard them.
The CDC no longer recommends people quarantine themselves following exposure to someone with Covid-19.
— Nicole Saphier, MD (@NBSaphierMD) August 11, 2022
They have also removed the social distance recommendation of staying at least 6 feet away from others.
Both actions are overdue but important heading into the school year.
The pandemic’s present circumstances are considerably different from those of the previous two years.
Public health officials may prioritize high-risk congregate settings, such as long-term care facilities, homeless shelters, and correctional facilities, as well as workplace settings that include congregate housing with restricted access to medical care when deciding whether and where to implement screening testing of asymptomatic people with no known exposure.
Now that the CDC no longer differentiates between Covid vaccinated/unvaccinated individuals, every employee fired for being unvaccinated should be given their job back with a formal apology and backpay.
— Nicole Saphier, MD (@NBSaphierMD) August 11, 2022
According to William Hanage, an epidemiologist at the Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health, the more permissive standards are a concession to reality and the way that many people are addressing this.
The CDC’s change of its coronavirus advice is the organization’s most important action since a severe omicron infection epidemic last winter.
She argued that any worker sacked for not having had the Covid vaccination should have their job restored along with a written apology and back pay now that the CDC no longer distinguishes between Covid-vaccinated and unvaccinated people.
Thus, the measures put in place by governors like Florida’s Ron DeSantis are now being adopted by the Biden administration. In front of the November elections, the CDC is essentially waving the white flag on Covid-19.
