Additionally, CDC is updating the recommended quarantine period for those exposed to COVID-19. For people who are unvaccinated or are more than six months out from their second mRNA dose (or more than 2 months after the J&J vaccine) and not yet boosted, CDC now recommends quarantine for 5 days followed by strict mask use for an additional 5 days. Alternatively, if a 5-day quarantine is not feasible, it is imperative that an exposed person wear a well-fitting mask at all times when around others for 10 days after exposure. Individuals who have received their booster shot do not need to quarantine following an exposure, but should wear a mask for 10 days after the exposure. For all those exposed, best practice would also include a test for SARS-CoV-2 at day 5 after exposure. If symptoms occur, individuals should immediately quarantine until a negative test confirms symptoms are not attributable to COVID-19.
If you’re not boosted, you’re treated as unvaccinated for purposes of spread under Omicron. That makes perfect sense. You might be safer yourself, but you’re not that much less likely to spread Omicron.
I support this at Simulacra level 1, but am worried about what it says at higher levels. It seems like the CDC is not distinguishing between vaccinated-but-not-boosted individuals and unvaccinated individuals, which is probably closer to true than untrue in this context (the massive spread has to come from somewhere, and it’s just not credible that it’d be coming from the unvaccinated exclusively). However, I expect that this individual instance of putting not-boosted in the same category of not-vaccinated will continue into other policy recommendations. Since I oppose those policies, and especially oppose those policies expansion to the not-boosted, this makes me wary.
I suppose I’ll have to wait and see if things turn around and get back to mostly normal for everyone, or if the limitations on the liberties will be expanded to include a large number of new people.
I support this at Simulacra level 1, but am worried about what it says at higher levels. It seems like the CDC is not distinguishing between vaccinated-but-not-boosted individuals and unvaccinated individuals, which is probably closer to true than untrue in this context (the massive spread has to come from somewhere, and it’s just not credible that it’d be coming from the unvaccinated exclusively). However, I expect that this individual instance of putting not-boosted in the same category of not-vaccinated will continue into other policy recommendations. Since I oppose those policies, and especially oppose those policies expansion to the not-boosted, this makes me wary.
I suppose I’ll have to wait and see if things turn around and get back to mostly normal for everyone, or if the limitations on the liberties will be expanded to include a large number of new people.