December 28, 2021 – The CDC is shortening the recommended time for isolation from 10 days for people with COVID-19 to five days, if asymptomatic, followed by five days of wearing a mask when around others. The majority of SARS-CoV-2 transmission occurs early in the course of the illness, generally one to two days prior to onset symptoms and the two to three days after.
Long absences have strained operations at hospitals, airlines and other businesses. But early studies in South Africa and the U.K. point to Omicron’s reduced severity in populations with high levels of immunity, according to the Wall Street Journal. People infected with the Omicron variant are between 50-70% less likely to be admitted to the hospital than those infected with earlier strains, according to a recent U.K. study.