I know they have changed.

Daughter started with congestion on Saturday...lost smell on Monday and tested positive Monday. Do we all need to quarantine for 10 days (new CDC guideline?) or is it still 14 days?

10 days from the onset of symptoms (fever or loss of taste/smell) or date of positive test for the person who is positive.

14 days from last contact with the positive person for everyone else (unless they subsequently test positive).

TXTransplant said:

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10 days from the onset of symptoms (fever or loss of taste/smell) or date of positive test for the person who is positive.

14 days from last contact with the positive person for everyone else (unless they subsequently test positive).

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CDC says 10 days quarantine post last close contact; 7 days with a negative test

That's what we are going by. Last close contact is a bit challenging when it's one of your kids. She's isolating and we are masked the rare times we are within 6ft.

Aggie95 said:

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That's what we are going by. Last close contact is a bit challenging when it's one of your kids. She's isolating and we are masked the rare times we are within 6ft.

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The 10 days post-exposure is correct, but CDC still endorses a 14 day quarantine. My son's school followed one guideline (7 days with isolation and a negative test or 10 days with isolation) and my employer the other (14 days from contact).

https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/if-you-are-sick/quarantine.html

"CDC continues to endorse quarantine for 14 days and recognizes that any quarantine shorter than 14 days balances reduced burden against a small possibility of spreading the virus. CDC will continue to evaluate new information and update recommendations as needed."

We did 14 days with my son because I also couldn't completely isolate from him. Also, you don't really know when you are no longer contagious, so it's hard to determine when the 14 days start, if you're together all day/every day.

98% of Covid cases present within 10 days, however the math bears more examination. The median length of onset is between 3-4 days. By day 6 you hit 75%, by day 7, 90%. The CDC is a risk adverse organization by nature (government, bureaucracy, medical); they will always hedge their bets and change guidance slowly

AggieFlyboy said:

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98% of Covid cases present within 10 days, however the math bears more examination. The median length of onset is between 3-4 days. By day 6 you hit 75%, by day 7, 90%. The CDC is a risk adverse organization by nature (government, bureaucracy, medical); they will always hedge their bets and change guidance slowly

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I completely agree. Then there is the whole issue of what "isolation" really means. Seems like everyone has a different definition.

I never know what side of the fence others are on. We live in very strange times.

Even though my son was past the quarantine period (both 10 and 14 days), I still had him tested before I put him on a plane to visit his dad and elderly grandmother.

For me, it sort of depends on who you expect to come in contact with after isolation/quarantine is over.

I was told ten days by the school from seeing my daughter, even wearing a mask two days before her symptoms started. And for my peace I also had a negative test on day ten....if school had been in session I would have had to go back into the classroom.

Since I live in an over 55 community, I self quarantined the 14 days. I don't want to be the angel of death. We already lost one resident to covid. Have four others positive that I know of and one other hospitalized as it is. The complex itself keeps having events (I don't attend) and opening gathering areas. The man who died would spend the day at the coffee machine visiting with everyone all day long. He took mask off to drink the coffee, obviously, all day long. He will be missed.

While these are personal choices, I would opt for the safest choice if you know you would be seeing someone high risk between day ten and 14.

It's pretty clear how long someone who tests positive has to quarantine/isolate.

Seems to still be confusion (even from the CDC) around how long someone who has had direct contact with someone who tests positive has to quarantine.

The standard quarantine post close contact is still 14 days. If necessary, the CDC says that with close monitoring for symptoms, if you remain asymptomatic at day 10, then your chance of spreading it to someone else is as high as about 10%. Similar for a negative test at day 7. The key here is close monitoring for symptoms. Lots of people are in denial when they start developing symptoms, and they need to understand that they're not truly out of the woods at day 10.

Additionally, I don't agree with the test at day 5-7 and clearance to return to work at day 7 if that test is negative. Way too many false negatives occur in that time frame, and you really need a well done nasopharyngeal swab PCR done. People need to ensure they understand the full guidelines before they assume a negative test is good to go.

We've seen it multiple times on this forum, and I'm sure it's worse in the general public. But people run out to get tested 2 days post exposure and think since it's negative they're good to go, only to actually get sick a few days later.