VOA慢速英语--美国卫生官员放宽新冠病毒疾病预防隔离指南

US Health Officials Ease Preventive Separation Guidelines for People with COVID-19

United States health officials have reduced quarantine restrictions¹ for Americans with the coronavirus who do not show signs of infection.

Individuals without signs of infection should isolate² for five days, instead of 10, officials say. The health officials also shortened the time that those exposed to the virus should stay away from other people.

Officials from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced the change on Monday. The agency said there is growing evidence that people with the coronavirus are most infectious in the two days before and three days after symptoms develop.

The decision was also driven by the large increase in COVID-19 cases because of the Omicron version, or variant³, of the virus.

Early research suggests Omicron may cause less severe sickness than earlier versions of the new coronavirus. But the large number of people becoming infected and isolating⁴ themselves is hurting businesses, experts say.

Last week, the agency also changed rules for health care workers. Earlier, rules said that health care workers should stay away from work for 10 days if a test shows they are infected with the virus. The new guidelines say workers could go back to work after seven days if a test shows they do not have the virus and do not have symptoms.

On Monday, the CDC changed its isolation⁵ and quarantine guidance for the public. The change is aimed at people who are not experiencing symptoms. People who have symptoms during quarantine should stay home, the agency said.

Lindsay Wiley is a public health law expert at American University. She said the CDC's quarantine guidance is confusing to the public. And the new recommendations are "happening at a time when more people are testing positive for the first time and looking for guidance."

Isolation

The isolation rules are for people who are infected. They are the same for people who are unvaccinated, partly vaccinated⁶, fully⁷ vaccinated or have the booster shot.

The rules say the quarantine starts the day of testing positive. An infected person should go into quarantine for five days, instead of 10.

At the end of five days, infected people may return to normal activities if there are no symptoms. But they must wear a mask everywhere for at least five more days. If there are still symptoms after five days, they should wait until symptoms improve before returning to normal activities.

Quarantine

The quarantine rules are for people who were in close contact with an infected person but not infected themselves.

A quarantine starts the day someone is told they may have been exposed to the virus.

Before, the CDC said people who were not fully vaccinated and who came in close contact with an infected person should stay home for at least 10 days. Now the agency says only people who get booster shots do not need to quarantine.

Five days

When people get infected, the risk of spread drops after five days, but it does not disappear for everyone, said Dr. Aaron Glatt. He is a spokesman for the Infectious Diseases Society of America.

"If you decrease it to five days, you're still going to have a small but significant number of people who are contagious⁸," he said.

That is why wearing masks remains⁹ an important part of the CDC guidance, officials said.

Not a mandate¹⁰

The new CDC guidance is not a requirement. It is a recommendation to employers and state and local officials. Last week, New York state said it would expand on the CDC's guidance for health care workers.

The change "is going to be perceived as coming in response to pressure from business interests," Wiley said. But she said some experts have been calling for the changes for months.

Words in This Story

quarantine – n. the period of time during which a person or animal that has a disease or that might have a disease is kept away from others to prevent the disease from spreading

isolation - n. the state of being in a place or situation that is separate from others

symptom –n. a change in the body or mind that shows that a disease is present

confuse – v. to make (someone) uncertain or unable to understand something

test positive –v. to have a test show that a disease is present in a person's body

booster — n. an action or substance that makes something stronger or more effective

expose –v. to be affected¹¹ by something; to experience something

significant — adj. large or important enough to be noticed or to have an effect

contagious - adj. able to be passed from one person or animal to another by touching¹²

perceive — v. to notice or to become aware of something

1 restrictions   

约束( restriction的名词复数 )； 管制； 制约因素； 带限制性的条件（或规则）

参考例句：

• I found the restrictions irksome. 我对那些限制感到很烦。
• a snaggle of restrictions 杂乱无章的种种限制

2 isolate   

vt.使孤立，隔离

参考例句：

• Do not isolate yourself from others.不要把自己孤立起来。
• We should never isolate ourselves from the masses.我们永远不能脱离群众。

3 variant   

adj.不同的，变异的；n.变体，异体

参考例句：

• We give professional suggestions according to variant tanning stages for each customer.我们针对每位顾客不同的日晒阶段，提供强度适合的晒黑建议。
• In a variant of this approach,the tests are data- driven.这个方法的一个变种，是数据驱动的测试。

4 isolating   

adj.孤立的，绝缘的v.使隔离( isolate的现在分词 )；将…剔出（以便看清和单独处理）；使（某物质、细胞等）分离；使离析

参考例句：

• Colour filters are not very effective in isolating narrow spectral bands. 一些滤色片不能很有效地分离狭窄的光谱带。 来自辞典例句
• This became known as the streak method for isolating bacteria. 这个方法以后就称为分离细菌的划线法。 来自辞典例句

5 isolation   

n.隔离，孤立，分解，分离

参考例句：

• The millionaire lived in complete isolation from the outside world.这位富翁过着与世隔绝的生活。
• He retired and lived in relative isolation.他退休后，生活比较孤寂。

6 vaccinated   

[医]已接种的，种痘的，接种过疫菌的

参考例句：

• I was vaccinated against tetanus. 我接种了破伤风疫苗。
• Were you vaccinated against smallpox as a child? 你小时候打过天花疫苗吗？

7 fully   

adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地

参考例句：

• The doctor asked me to breathe in,then to breathe out fully.医生让我先吸气，然后全部呼出。
• They soon became fully integrated into the local community.他们很快就完全融入了当地人的圈子。

8 contagious   

adj.传染性的，有感染力的

参考例句：

• It's a highly contagious infection.这种病极易传染。
• He's got a contagious laugh.他的笑富有感染力。

9 remains   

n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹

参考例句：

• He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
• The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。

10 mandate   

n.托管地；命令，指示

参考例句：

• The President had a clear mandate to end the war.总统得到明确的授权结束那场战争。
• The General Election gave him no such mandate.大选并未授予他这种权力。

11 affected   

adj.不自然的，假装的

参考例句：

• She showed an affected interest in our subject.她假装对我们的课题感到兴趣。
• His manners are affected.他的态度不自然。

12 touching   

adj.动人的，使人感伤的

参考例句：

• It was a touching sight.这是一幅动人的景象。
• His letter was touching.他的信很感人。