Before going into the details, it is important to understand the most recent definitions of terminology used in reference to COVID. Fully vaccinated means you have had the primary series of vaccines. Up to date means you have had the recommended vaccine boosters. Quarantine means you are protecting yourself from others by wearing a mask and taking precautions to avoid exposing the virus to others. Isolation means you are sequestered away from other people. Exposure means you have come into contact with someone who has the virus, and close contact means you’ve been within 6ft of someone for a total of 15 minutes in 24 hours who has the virus.
Now, according to the CDC, if you have been vaccinated and are exposed to COVID, you do not need to quarantine. It is recommended that you: wear a mask for 10 days, get tested on day 5, and quarantine immediately if you develop symptoms.
Do you need to quarantine if you have been vaccinated and test positive for COVID? ALL people who test positive for COVID need to isolate for 5 days, regardless of vaccination status.
How does the vaccine help? The vaccine aims to reduce the risk of contracting COVID, keep you out of the hospital if you get COVID, and reduce the risk of a hospital stay.
Now that researchers have had time to study the data from the past two years, the CDC has come out with these new guidelines, which could change, based on new data as more studies are completed. Check out this article by healthline.com for a full explanation of these facts:
Do You Have to Quarantine If You’ve Been Vaccinated for COVID-19? (healthline.com)
