US health officials drop 5-day isolation time for COVID-19

The CDC changed its longstanding guidance on Friday, saying people can return to work or regular activities if their symptoms are mild and improving.

Americans who test positive for COVID-19 no longer need to stay in isolation for five days, U.S. health officials announced on Friday.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention changed its longstanding guidance, saying that people can return to work or regular activities if their symptoms are mild and improving and it's been a day since they've had a fever. The change comes at a time when COVID-19 is no longer the public health menace it once was. 

It dropped from being the nation's third-leading cause of death early in the pandemic to 10th last year. Most people have some degree of immunity to the coronavirus from past vaccinations or from infections. And many people are not following the five-day isolation guidance anyway, some experts say.

"Our goal here is to continue to protect those at risk for severe illness while also reassuring folks that these recommendations are simple, clear, easy to understand, and can be followed,” said Dr. Mandy Cohen, the CDC's director. However, some experts worry that the change may increase the risk of infection for those people who are more vulnerable to developing severe illness.

COVID-19 is not causing as many hospitalizations and deaths as it did in the first years of the pandemic. The change is an effort to streamline recommendations so they are similar to longstanding recommendations for flu and other respiratory viruses.