The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released new guidelines on Wednesday regarding the recommended duration of quarantine after exposure to someone who is positive for COVID-19.
The CDC recommends that people
resume normal activity after 10 days
or 7 days if they receive a negative test result for coronavirus.
According to confidential information provided to our sister network NBC News by a federal official prior to the official announcement, the policy change had been discussed for some time, based on studies on the incubation period of the virus.
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The new guideline accelerates the return to normal activities of those who are considered "close contacts" of those infected with this virus, which has affected more than
13.5 million Americans and caused at least 270,000 deaths
.
Medical staff members communicate via a partition in the COVID-19 intensive care unit at United Memorial Medical Center on November 25, 2020 in Houston, Texas.Go Nakamura / Getty Images
The quarantine is intended to keep a person who may have been exposed to COVID-19 away from other individuals, to prevent the spread of the disease.
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Although the CDC had said that the incubation period for the virus was extended to two weeks, most people develop symptoms and become
potentially contagious within 4 to 5 days after exposure.
It is not the first time that the CDC has adjusted its guidance for the new coronavirus based on the development of studies and research.
In July, the agency shortened its recommendation of how long a person should be isolated after experiencing coronavirus symptoms from 14 days to 10 days, as
long as they are no longer ill.
With information from NBC News.