While the summer of 2024 has seen a return to normalcy in many ways around the world regarding the COVID-19 pandemic, those who have recently tested positive for the virus may be wondering what has changed regarding symptoms and CDC guidelines.
Although weekly case data is no longer reported by the Illinois Department of Public Health, those who recently attended Lollapalooza or other major events may have tested positive in recent days.
If you contracted COVID in the past few months or years, the guidelines may be different this time around, due to significant changes initiated by the CDC earlier this year.
Here’s what you need to know:
In March, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) updated its COVID-19 guidance to reflect recommendations for other respiratory infections. People who have COVID-19 no longer need to stay away from others for five days, the CDC said, reversing the five-day isolation recommendation.
People can return to work or their usual activities if their symptoms are mild and improving and if it has been a day since they had a fever, but the CDC still recommends that people with symptoms stay home.
“The recommendations suggest resuming normal activities when, for at least 24 hours, symptoms have improved overall and, if a fever was present, it has resolved without the use of an antipyretic medication,” the guide states.
Once activities resume, the CDC still recommends “additional prevention strategies” for five more days, including wearing a mask and maintaining distance from others.
The agency stresses that people should still try to prevent infections in the first place, by getting vaccinated, washing their hands and taking steps to get more fresh air outdoors.
As part of this guidance, the CDC suggests:
- Stay up to date with vaccinations to protect people from serious illness, hospitalization, and death. This includes influenza, COVID-19, and RSV, if eligible.
- Practice good hygiene by covering your mouth when coughing or sneezing, washing or disinfecting your hands often, and cleaning frequently touched surfaces.
- Taking steps for cleaner airsuch as bringing in more fresh air from outside, purifying indoor air, or gathering outside.
The change comes at a time when COVID-19 is no longer the public health threat it once was. It has gone from the third leading cause of death in the United States at the start of the pandemic to 10th last year.
Most people have acquired some degree of immunity to the coronavirus through previous vaccinations or infections. And many people aren’t following the five-day isolation guidelines anyway, some experts say.
What are the symptoms?
- Cough
- Sore throat
- Runny nose
- Sneezing
- Fatigue
- Headache
- Muscle pain
- Altered sense of smell
- Congestion
- Fever or chills
- Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
- Nausea or vomiting
- Diarrhea
Last year, a Chicago-area doctor said he noticed changes in the most common symptoms reported by his patients as the JN.1 variant became dominant.
Dr. Chantel Tinfang, a family medicine physician at Sengstacke Health Center at Provident Hospital in Cook County, noted at the time that many of the cases she saw reported less fever, body aches and chills, and more sore throat, fatigue and cough.
“We still see patients who have loss of appetite, loss of taste, loss of smell. So it depends a little bit,” she said. “One patient was just very, very tired. She couldn’t really do much. And that’s when you know… it’s different. It’s not just coughing and shortness of breath. But we still see that.”
She suggested seeing your doctor if your symptoms don’t start to improve outside of the recommended isolation period.
As for timing, symptoms can last for several days, but in some cases even longer.
“Some people infected with the virus that causes COVID-19 may experience long-term effects of their infection, known as long COVID or post-COVID conditions (PCC),” according to the CDC.
Such symptoms can last for weeks or even years.
