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How long do you have to quarantine after COVID-19 exposure? CDC announces new guidance

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced during a Wednesday media briefing that it continues to recommend a quarantine period of 14 days after exposure to someone with COVID-19 to reduce the spread of the disease.

After analyzing new research and “extensive modeling,” however, the agency is recommending two other “acceptable alternatives” in an effort to make preventive measures more accessible for the working public and lessen burdens on health care systems.

The first option includes a quarantine period that ends 10 days after exposure to someone with the coronavirus if you are not experiencing symptoms and have not been tested.

CDC officials said research shows there’s anywhere between a 1% to 12% “residual risk” that someone remains infected after a 10-day quarantine period has ended — “an acceptable risk for many people.”

The second option includes a quarantine period that ends after seven days only if you tested negative for COVID-19 and are experiencing no symptoms.

This alternative, which requires a negative test, carries a 5% to 10% risk that the person is still positive after a 7-day quarantine period.

The agency noted that either a PCR or antigen test would suffice to determine if you are currently infected with the coronavirus.

CDC officials also added guidance about traveling amid the holiday season as COVID-19 case surges.

They suggest people avoid travel altogether, but those who do should get tested one to three days before getting on a plane or train and three to five days after travel. People should combine this with reducing non-essential activities for “a full seven days after travel.’”

If you don’t get tested after traveling, the CDC recommends reducing non-essential activities for at least 10 days.

However, they say that “testing does not eliminate all risks.” Other preventive measures such as mask wearing, social distancing and hand washing should still take place in order to make travel safer for everyone.