So…What Is the CDC’s Latest Guidance on Omicron, Exactly?

Just when it seemed like the holidays were going to be normal in 2021, the COVID-19 variant that we’ve come to known as omicron swept through the country, sending cases skyrocketing and ushering in a brand-new meme born out of total desperation: “The CDC says…” Laughter is the best medicine, right? (Apart from, uh…actual medicine. Let’s get those COVID antivirals on the market!)

The “CDC says…” meme was created in response to the health-protection agency’s updated guidelines for those who have tested positive for COVID-19, shortening the amount of time they need to isolate from 10 days to 5. Yet the meme is indicative of a larger shift in the way we’re learning to interact with the world around us and, more specifically, with the governing agencies that are meant to protect us from the ravages of COVID. Many people are, to put it simply, fed up with the constantly changing information about how to handle the pandemic’s intrusion into their lives.

Many of the questions we’re currently asking ourselves do have answers, though, even if the governmental messaging is somewhat ineffective. So, we’ve put together a cheat sheet of sorts to understand the CDC’s most recent advice and information on omicron:

If you test positive, you should wear a mask around others for five days following your five-day isolation.

It might help to think of that five-day period of mask wearing as a sort of staggered, cautious reentry into the world; avoid large indoor gatherings, if possible, and if you have to be around other people, keep that KN95 on.

If you have a fever, keep staying home.

A fever that persists beyond the five-day isolation period means you should continue to stay at home until it comes down, according to the CDC.

The best time to get tested after potential COVID-19 exposure is five days after said exposure.

You might not test positive right away even if you have COVID-19, so the CDC recommends testing on the fifth day after being exposed to someone with COVID-19.

Mask quality matters more than ever.

The CDC stresses the importance of a “well-fitting mask,” which it defines as a mask that sits snugly on your face and has layers and a nose wire. (Note: If you’re doubling up on masks, make sure not to do so with KN95s, which should only be used one at a time.)

Getting a booster shot brings vaccine effectiveness up to 75%.

The Food and Drug Administration just authorized boosters for children between the ages of 12 and 15, so if you haven’t already, now is the time to get yourself and your family boosted.

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