Hold onto your hats, folks, because we’re talking about covid-19 – the virus nobody wanted and everyone wishes would go away. Lucky for us, vaccines, immunity post-infection, and treatments have made it possible for society to go back to normal. It’s like a dress rehearsal that’s finally over, and we are all returning to the main stage. The US is set to end its public health emergency in May, and it seems the World Health Organization will follow suit soon. Time to celebrate!
Except, there’s one small wrinkle that’s sticking around like that one person who shows up at the party even when you don’t invite them: the five-day isolation period following a positive covid test. Yawn. We believe it’s high time that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) let go of that policy and switch to something more sensible, like “Stay home when you’re feeling sick, and come back to work and school when you feel better.”
Listen, we take the education of our children very seriously. Time away from school due to covid has been a huge setback in the battle against screen addiction, the worsening of learning loss, the mental health crisis among teens, and obesity rates. That’s a whole lot of negative consequences, folks. While many schools have opened their doors, the mandatory five-day isolation period means our educational system is still catching up. We need to minimize the number of days that children miss school.
But it’s not just our kids who are missing out on life because of this five-day isolation policy – even caregivers are struggling. We all know that staffing shortages have taken over many industries, especially the health care sector, and we need to consider the impact that this policy is having on society as a whole.
You might wonder why the isolation period for covid-19 is five days (plus an extra five days of wearing a mask indoors) when for other viruses, we advise staying home when you’re sick. For most diseases, people can return to work and school when their fever has gone, and they’re generally feeling better. Is there something extra contagious about this disease? Is it coated in glitter and fairy dust and out to ruin parties? The answer is a big nope. Influenza is often contagious for seven days after symptoms begin, and people with respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) can be contagious for eight days. No isolation required for them.
Okay, so covid isn’t the flu. But as the severity of covid-19 continues to drop, hospitalization rates are becoming rare, and the risk of death from it has fallen below that of the flu. And let’s be real here – many people who only have mild symptoms just don’t test anymore, meaning that they don’t isolate. This limits the impact of requiring the extended isolation only for diagnosed cases.
Surprise, surprise, the US is an outlier when it comes to restoring normalcy for kids. Health authorities from around the world have been telling us for months that covid-19 should be thought of like other respiratory infections. For example, Ontario dropped its isolation policy back in August, Denmark in December, and Britain in February. The US should stop being the odd one out.
Furthermore, if a child is otherwise healthy, testing for coronavirus should be reserved for those who would qualify for treatment due to risk factors. This is how physicians approach other respiratory viruses like the flu and RSV. At the end of the day, most people won’t know or care which virus is causing their symptoms.
We aren’t saying that everything should go back to normal – that’s just irresponsible. We still need paid sick leave for all Americans, vaccines, tests, and treatments that are widely available at low or no cost to those who are high risk. Better ventilation in all shared spaces, free high-quality masks for the immunocompromised – all of these things are essential. And let’s not forget the healthcare system, which needs a major overhaul. We need more flexibility to scale up capacity during surges and better access to primary-care physicians.
We have been through an absolute rollercoaster, and our kids are the ones who have borne the brunt of it. Now, as the emergency phase ends, we need to do everything possible to ensure they can return to their classrooms. It’s time for our covid policies to match those of other respiratory viruses: stay at home when you’re feeling unwell, and come back when you’re good to go – whether that takes a week or just a few days.
