U.S. health officials drop 5-day isolation time for COVID-19

By MIKE STOBBE
AP Medical Writer

NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. health officials says Americans with COVID-19 no longer need to stay in isolation for five days. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention changed its longstanding guidance on Friday. People can return to work or regular activities if their symptoms are mild and improving and it’s been a day since they’ve had a fever. COVID-19 is no longer the public health menace it once was and most people have some degree of immunity from past vaccinations or from infections. And some experts note that many people are not following the five-day isolation guidance anyway.