Current US protocol for quarantine?

[mouseandchair]

Hello!

Things being REALLY confusing here in the US, I wonder if anyone knows what the protocol is at the moment for this family: parents and sibling test negative and the 3-year-old (stuffy nose) tests positive. Are they all required to quarantine and for how long?

Obviously the grandma (me with zero B cells) will simply stay away.

And while I'm posting for the first time, do you think it's the case that being immunosuppressed will make the rapid test inaccurate? As in "always negative?"

Thank you for commenting!

[SingingBirds8]

Hi Mouseandchair, cute name. Here in NJ if family members test positive and you test negative and are asymptomatic you do NOT have to quarantine. It happens at the school I work in. I think it’s insane but that’s the CDC recommendation. Who knows that could change just like the virus does?I’m not sure about the rapid test question!

[mouseandchair in reply to SingingBirds8]

THANK YOU!

[gardening-girl]

Hello Mouseandchair, the answer to your question about whether your immune status would affect the rapid covid test results is no. The rapid tests are antigen tests meaning that they are designed to detect SARS-CoV-2 proteins, not your response to them.

[mouseandchair in reply to gardening-girl]

THANK YOU!

[Ladylin151]

If you have been exposed and continue to test negative as well as no symptoms, you do not need to quarantine. Continue to watch for symptoms at least 5 days after LAST exposure. ( Once 3 yr old is well or anyone infected by him) if at anytime you test positive, you must quarantine regardless of symptoms for 5 days and continue masking for 5 more days. The often disregarded part is; if you are exposed and show no symptoms, you "should" test before having contact with others

[mouseandchair in reply to Ladylin151]

Thank you!

[Astro617]

Here's the CDC's latest guidelines. I hope they are based on science and not economics. cdc.gov/media/releases/2021...

[mouseandchair in reply to Astro617]

Thank you!

[SofiaDeo in reply to mouseandchair]

I was reading there has been a hullabaloo since these guidelines of Dec 27, and there supposedly will be a new statement coming out again this week. And IMO there is a definite political/economic component to the recommendations. Those in charge are concerned about schools and businesses staying open, etc. It's hard to say what the "right" answer is. My personal opinion is we need to stop the spread/protect others as well as continue necessary services. I think the updated recommendations this week will include some sort of testing before going back out in public after 5 days if positive, instead of quarantining 10 days, or simply cutting the quarantine to 5 days. Scientists are saying "most" people aren't infectious after 5 days, but without testing, how would you know if you were still shedding virus or not? So there was a lot of flak regarding the change to a simple "5 days after testing positive". But the tests aren't 100% reliable either. What a mess.

[mouseandchair in reply to SofiaDeo]

Thank you!