Summary of Guidance for Minimizing the Impact of COVID-19 on Individual Persons, Communities, and Health Care Systems - United States, August 2022

Abstract

As SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, continues to circulate globally, high levels of vaccine- and infection-induced immunity and the availability of effective treatments and prevention tools have substantially reduced the risk for medically significant COVID-19 illness (severe acute illness and post-COVID-19 conditions) and associated hospitalization and death (1). These circumstances now allow public health efforts to minimize the individual and societal health impacts of COVID-19 by focusing on sustainable measures to further reduce medically significant illness as well as to minimize strain on the health care system, while reducing barriers to social, educational, and economic activity (2). Individual risk for medically significant COVID-19 depends on a person's risk for exposure to SARS-CoV-2 and their risk for developing severe illness if infected (3). Exposure risk can be mitigated through nonpharmaceutical interventions, including improving ventilation, use of masks or respirators indoors, and testing (4). The risk for medically significant illness increases with age, disability status, and underlying medical conditions but is considerably reduced by immunity derived from vaccination, previous infection, or both, as well as timely access to effective biomedical prevention measures and treatments (3,5). CDC's public health recommendations change in response to evolving science, the availability of biomedical and public health tools, and changes in context, such as levels of immunity in the population and currently circulating variants. CDC recommends a strategic approach to minimizing the impact of COVID-19 on health and society that relies on vaccination and therapeutics to prevent severe illness; use of multicomponent prevention measures where feasible; and particular emphasis on protecting persons at high risk for severe illness. Efforts to expand access to vaccination and therapeutics, including the use of preexposure prophylaxis for persons who are immunocompromised, antiviral agents, and therapeutic monoclonal antibodies, should be intensified to reduce the risk for medically significant illness and death. Efforts to protect persons at high risk for severe illness must ensure that all persons have access to information to understand their individual risk, as well as efficient and equitable access to vaccination, therapeutics, testing, and other prevention measures. Current priorities for preventing medically significant illness should focus on ensuring that persons 1) understand their risk, 2) take steps to protect themselves and others through vaccines, therapeutics, and nonpharmaceutical interventions when needed, 3) receive testing and wear masks if they have been exposed, and 4) receive testing if they are symptomatic, and isolate for ≥5 days if they are infected.

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Recommendations for isolation, masking, and additional precautions for persons with COVID-19 illness or who receive a positive SARS-CoV-2 test result^, — United States, August 2022 * Symptomatic persons should isolate immediately and get tested. They should remain in isolation until they receive a test result. If the test result is positive, they should follow the full isolation recommendations. Asymptomatic persons should begin counting isolation from the first full day after a positive test result (day 0 is the date the test specimen was collected). If an infected person develops symptoms after a positive test result, the isolation count starts again with day 0 being the first day of symptoms. ^† Persons at high risk for severe illness should wear a mask or respirator (N95/KN95) that provides more protection indoors in public at medium and high COVID-19 Community Levels. All persons should wear well-fitting masks or respirators indoors in public at high COVID-19 Community Levels. https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/your-health/covid-by-county.html ^§ Persons who had moderate illness from COVID-19, including those who show evidence of lower respiratory disease such as shortness of breath or difficulty breathing should isolate for ≥10 days. Persons who had severe illness from COVID-19, including those who were hospitalized and those who required intensive care or mechanical ventilation, and persons with immunocompromising conditions should isolate for ≥10 days and consult with a health care provider to determine end of isolation. https://www.covid19treatmentguidelines.nih.gov/overview/clinical-spectrum/ ^¶ Infected persons can contact their health care provider to discuss their test results and available treatment options. They should monitor fever and other symptoms. If they develop an emergency warning sign, they should seek emergency medical care immediately. Emergency warning signs include trouble breathing; persistent pain or pressure in chest; new confusion; inability to awaken or stay awake; and pale, gray, or blue-colored skin, lips, or nailbeds, depending on skin tone. https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/symptoms-testing/symptoms.html ** If symptoms worsen from the end of isolation through day 10, infected persons should restart isolation; they should consider consulting with a health care provider to determine care.