New COVID-19 guidelines explained
Mendocino County public health officials this week released a summary of the COVID-19 recommendations prepared by the Centers for Disease Control and the California Department of Public Health.
According to the Thursday press release, “as the COVID-19 Pandemic changes, CDC and CDPH have re-evaluated the current situation and have released new practical recommendations to keep our community healthy. These do NOT apply to Healthcare Workers (who continue to be covered by AFL 2108.9) and employers/employees should continue to comply with Cal-OSHA in workplaces.”
And “while COVID-19 continues to be circulating and can be deadly for some, there is more immunity in our communities from past COVID infections and vaccinations,” the officials explain. “The currently circulating dominant variants continue to be susceptible to the newest vaccines and treatments. Even with the concurrent Influenza and RSV yearly epidemics, the risk to our communities is under better control. Therefore, recommendations now focus on prevention (vaccination and hygiene), early treatment, limiting exposure to the most vulnerable due to age and other medical conditions, and basing duration of interventions more on symptoms — minimizing disruption of most activities in our community.”
The CDPH has released these recommendations to maximize effectiveness of our interventions:
Stay up to date with the most current vaccines.
Stay home if you are sick. Cover your coughs. Wash your hands.
High risk people should consider wearing a high-quality mask in indoor and public places. (High risk people include the elderly or immune compromised and those who live in congregate care facilities like hospitals, nursing homes, or correctional facilities.)
If you have new symptoms test for COVID (and Influenza) and if your test shows you do have COVID or Influenza, get the highly effective treatment.
If you have new Covid symptoms: Stay home, Test right away, Mask and Treat, if needed.
If you test Negative, retest in 1-2 days with a rapid test or a PCR/NAAT test.
If you test positive (even without symptoms) OR your provider has made a clinical diagnosis for SARS COVID 2: Stay home until you have not had fever for 24 hours (without fever-reducing medication) and your symptoms are mild and improving; Avoid contact with high risk* people for ten (10) days; If you are high risk*, seek highly effective treatment within five (5) to seven (7) days. If you cannot consult a provider, use the State contractor for free at 1-833422-4255; Mask when you are around others for ten (10) days after you test is positive OR when symptoms start; You may end this sooner if you have not had fever for 24 hours (without fever-reducing medication), and your symptoms are mild and improving AND after two (2) negative tests one day apart.
If you have had a close contact (Close contact is over 15 minutes (total over 24 hours) inside a space smaller than 400,000 cu feet (i.e., homes, clinic waiting rooms, airplanes, etc.) OR within 6 feet for 15 minutes over 24 hours in a larger space. with COVID or Influenza
and have NO new symptoms but you OR your contacts are at high risk*, you may benefit from treatment, so:• mask indoors for ten (10) days while around high risk* people and• test within five (5) days of your last exposure and treat if needed OR, if negative, repeat in two (2) days. a. To avoid false positive tests: i. People who've had a COVID infection in the last 30 days do NOT need to test. ii. People who've had a COVID infection between 30-90 days, should test with a “rapid” test (not a PCR or NAAT test). iii. Wear your mask for the full ten (10) days.
If your symptoms continue for weeks or months, consult with your provider or visit the https://covid19.ca.gov/long-covid/ site to see what resources may help if you have “Long COVID.”