This is the first time the CDC is loosening its COVID-19 isolation recommendations since 2021.
The agency plans to recommend that people who test positive for COVID-19 use clinical symptoms to determine when to end isolation. Under the new approach, people would no longer need to stay home if they have been fever-free for at least 24 hours without the aid of medication and their symptoms are mild and improving.
In addition, the U.S. is a global outlier when it comes to booster shots for children. According to the New York Times most countries do not recommend COVID-19 shots for kids. Yet the CDC recommends booster shots for all children six months and older.
At the same time, only about 40 percent of children under 12 have been vaccinated against Covid, and only about 5 percent are up to date on their boosters.
GW experts are available to talk about what these new guidelines mean and provide more insight into the issue of COVID shots for kids.
- Lynn Goldman, a pediatrician and an epidemiologist, is the Michael and Lori Milken dean and professor of environmental and occupational health at the Milken Institute School of Public Health. She can talk about the CDC guidelines and the issue of booster shots for children.
- Michael Knight, is an assistant professor of medicine, associate chief quality and population health officer and the patient safety officer at The George Washington University Medical Faculty Associates. He can provide more insight into what these new guidelines could mean and the importance of booster shots.
- Emily Smith, associate professor at Milken Institute of Public Health and an expert in the field of maternal and newborn health. She has studied COVID-19 and pregnancy and can speak to the importance of booster shots for children and address the concerns parents may have.
- Marc Siegel, the division director and a professor of medicine in the division of infectious diseases at GW School of Medicine and Health Sciences. He can speak about the importance of booster shots for children and how to approach these potential new guidelines.
- Maria Ruiz, an associate professor of medicine and an infectious disease expert at the GW School of Medicine and Health Sciences. She can discuss how you can still protect yourself against COVID-19 despite new guidelines.
If you would like to schedule an interview, please contact Katelyn Deckelbaum, [email protected] or Kathy Fackelmann, [email protected]
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