The CDC has overhauled its COVID safety recommendations, drastically cutting back on restrictions. In the new guidelines, the agency made changes to recommendations on social distancing, quarantining, and testing. A report by the Annenberg Public Policy Center found that while over half of Americans personally know at least one person who died from COVID, 41 percent report they have already returned to their "normal pre-COVID" life.

So, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention relaxed its COVID-19 guidelines. Some of the major guidance updates include:

1) People who have been exposed to COVID, regardless of vaccination status, no longer have to quarantine if they aren’t showing symptoms.
2) Infected people who choose to use rapid tests can end their isolation after day five, even if they still test positive.
3) COVID screening tests used to catch asymptomatic infections are no longer recommended “in most community settings.
4) People are no longer recommended to stay 6 feet away from others to avoid infection.

*****************************
These updates may be an attempt by the CDC to meet people where they are and keep in touch with how the majority of Americans are living their lives. But some experts are critical of the move.

"This revision does not go anywhere near enough to correct the problems of flawed recommendations and lack of evidence," Eric Topol," said MD at Scripps Research. "The relaxation of isolation protocol can be alarming for people who are at a greater risk of COVID, such as those who are immunocompromised, are over age 65, or have underlying conditions or developmental disorders."

"The @CDCgov has normalized the uncontrolled spread of Covid19.
More people will develop Long Covid and end up with chronic diseases." Zackery Rubin, MD.

"Revised CDC guidance on COVID does not make sense. We are still losing 500 people a day to COVID. It’s a big risk. It’s like we are giving up. As a cancer doctor, I am also worried for my vulnerable patients." Vincent Rajkumar, MD

"The new CDC guidelines are to get covid and give it to other people, essentially." Josh Gordman, MD

"CDC relaxed covid guidelines but covid isn’t relaxing." Dana Nucklolls, MD