The New Covid Guidelines Are Totally Insane

But not for the reasons you think.

When the CDC’s new respiratory guidelines came out last March, there were a slew of hot takes centered around concerns that they were too lax. Which I get — no isolation period?! It was a momentous change.

But when I read through the new guidelines as a science journalist and a parent, I had a different reaction. In theory, I thought, the guidelines could be great and prevent the spread of many respiratory illnesses, not just Covid. But in reality? I worried they were never going to work. Both because people don’t actually understand what they say, and because people — parents especially — can’t possibly take on the huge additional burden that they demand.

Put another way, back in March, I worried nobody was actually going to follow the new guidelines. And from what I’ve observed over this first month of school, it turns out I was right.

What the guidelines actually say

According to the CDC’s new guidelines, when individuals (including kids) experience any new respiratory symptom — a sniffle, a cough, a sore throat, fatigue — they are supposed to stay home and remain home until 24 hours after their symptoms start to improve. This is the case even if they don’t have a fever.

After that, they are allowed to leave the house but should possibly take “added precautions” for five days, such as by wearing a mask.

This means that whenever your child wakes up extra tired or with a slight sniffle or scratchy throat, even if they have no other symptoms, they are expected to stay home from school. They should stay at home until a full day has passed after their symptoms improve. The one exception to the stay-at-home policy is if you’re certain the symptoms are due to something non-infectious, such as hay fever.