LOUISVILLE, Ky. — It's a word you've probably heard pretty often this year: Quarantine.
It's what someone exposed to COVID-19 needs to do to help mitigate the transmission of the virus. The recommended amount of time to quarantine by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has been 14 days, and it still is. However, now there are shorter options local health departments can also allow.
What You Need To Know
- Recommended quarantine time by CDC is 14 days
- Local health departments can allow shorter quarantine options
- Seven and 10 day quarantine options available
If someone has been asymptomatic and receives a negative COVID-19 test within 48 hours of ending quarantine, they can end quarantine on day seven. It’s important to note, even if a test is negative, quarantine can’t end earlier than day seven.
According to the CDC, after a seven-day quarantine, the transmission risk of COVID-19 is estimated to be about 5% with an upper limit of about 12%.
Also, for that seven-day quarantine, a molecular test is preferred over an antigen test. The molecular test usually takes a few days to get results while an antigen (a.k.a rapid test) can take as little as 15 minutes to get back results, but they are less sensitive.
The quarantine can end after 10 days without a COVID-19 test if there haven’t been any symptoms at all, like the seven-day quarantine.
According to the CDC, after a 10-day quarantine, the transmission risk of COVID-19 is estimated to be about 1 percent with an upper limit of about 10 percent.
The Louisville Metro Department of Public Health and Wellness announced Tuesday these new quarantine options are now on the table in Jefferson County.
“Everyone should continue to monitor for symptoms for 14 days, regardless of the result of their testing,” said Interim Medical Director, Dr. SarahBeth Hartlage.
The hope is that having options may increase compliance in the community, but it also helps ensure there are enough people on the frontlines.
“It’s one thing to have a ventilator available; it’s another thing to have the respiratory therapist be able to run it,” said the department’s Director Dr. Sarah Moyer. “That is what we are tracking and hoping that new CDC guidelines on quarantine will help get people back quicker and safer.”
Even if someone ends quarantine after seven or 10 days, they still have to monitor for symptoms until day 14. The CDC says if any symptoms develop, one should immediately self-isolate and contact their local public health or healthcare provider.