COVID-19 quarantine periods can be as short as seven to 10 days for some people, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Wednesday, but a 14-day quarantine after coronavirus exposure remains the safest option.
In new guidance, CDC says people could leave quarantine without taking a test if they do not develop any symptoms 10 days after being exposed to someone else with coronavirus, or after seven days with a negative test result and no symptoms.
The change comes as COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations and deaths are on the rise around the United States -- and with that, more people facing quarantine.
The new quarantine guidance was based on "extensive" modeling by CDC and other agencies that showed the risk is low, Dr. John Brooks, chief medical officer for CDC's COVID-19 response, said during a telebriefing Wednesday. Many people end quarantine early because of pressure to return to work and school, CDC officials said, and some aren't willing to share names of contacts they fear will then be required to quarantine.