Americans testing positive for COVID-19 will no longer be told to stay home for five days under new rules proposed by the Center for Disease Control (CDC), local media has reported.
It will be the first time since 2021 that the CDC has loosened its isolation recommendations, according to the Washington Post, which cited multiple agency officials and internal communications.
Under its new approach, people would decide when to end isolation based on their own symptoms, and wouldn't need to stay home if they have been fever-free for at least 24-hours without medication.
The White House has yet to sign off on the guidance, which officials told Washington Post is expected to be released in April for public feedback.
The New York Times reported two people "with knowledge" of discussions had confirmed the change was still under consideration.
A CDC spokesperson told the ABC the organisation had "no updates to COVID guidelines to announce at this time".
"We will continue to make decisions based on the best evidence and science to keep communities healthy and safe," they said.
Following these reports, the ABC contacted Australia's Department of Health for an update on what it could mean for Australians in coming months.
Here's what they had to say.
Isolation remains a state responsibility
When it comes to isolation recommendations, the Department of Health and Aged Care says states and territories "have primary operational responsibility for emergency management and public health" in each jurisdiction.
"This includes the responsibility for COVID-19 isolation requirements," a department spokesperson told the ABC.
"The Australian government continues to recommend that people who test positive to COVID-19 stay at home and avoid contact with people who are at higher risk of severe disease."
While isolation is no longer a legal requirement, Australians who test positive for COVID-19 should also avoid "high-risk settings" like hospitals and care facilities for at least seven days "or until symptoms have gone".
The department also recommends avoiding contact with people vulnerable to the disease, wearing a mask and working from home whenever possible.
Asked what a "realistic" approach might look like in an Australian setting, they said Australia's chief medical officer, Paul Kelly, had declared COVID-19 "no longer a communicable disease incident of national significance".
"Australia has shifted to managing COVID-19 consistent with other common communicable diseases, focusing on prevention, reducing transmission and management of serious illness, hospitalisations and death," the spokesperson said.
What does each state say about testing positive for COVID-19?
Here's what each health department across Australia recommends when it comes to isolation.
ACT
There are no mandatory isolation rules or restrictions on household contacts in the ACT, but "you should still stay at home and take steps to protect those around you".
The ACT's Department of Health recommends practising "COVID Smart behaviours", including:
- staying up to date with vaccinations
- wearing a mask in public indoor settings
QLD
Queensland Health "strongly recommends" staying at home until you have no acute respiratory symptoms, have gone at least 24 hours without a fever (without using fever-reducing medications) and at least five days have passed.
The department also recommends:
- avoiding hospitals, residential care facilities and disability accommodation
- wearing a face mask in indoor settings outside your home
- avoiding contact with vulnerable people
- practising good hygiene via hand washing and covering coughs
NSW
There are no requirements in NSW for self isolation, but the state's Department of Health says it is "strongly recommended" to stay home until symptoms are gone.
It notes you should avoid gatherings and indoor crowded locations, and not visit vulnerable people, hospitals or residential care facilities for at least seven days.
VIC
Victoria's Department of Health recommends isolating "until five days after the date of the positive test result for COVID-19 and until resolution of acute symptoms".
It also recommends people should not leave isolation for work, school, or to visit a high-risk location for at least seven days and until acute symptoms have subsided.
You should have a negative rapid antigen test (RAT) result before visiting "any healthcare facility, residential care facility or person at high risk of illness".
But the department also notes a negative RAT result "should be interpreted in conjunction with the case's symptoms and duration of illness".
You should notify all close contacts and social contacts at home, work and school if you came into contact with them during the infectious period.
TAS
Tasmania's Department of Health recommends staying home "if you have ongoing respiratory symptoms".
It added people should take extra precautions in the days after testing positive to minimise their risk of spreading the disease.
NT
NT Health recommends people stay home while they're unwell and showing symptoms.
"Talk to your employer about when you should return to the workplace," the department's guidelines say.
"If you work in a high-risk setting such as health, disability and aged care, you may be required to protect staff, patients, residents and clients."
They also recommend you:
- practise personal hygiene including hand washing or using hand sanitiser
- maintain a distance of 1.5 metres away from others where possible
- wear a mask indoors and outdoors when social distancing is not possible
SA
SA Health recommends isolating until acute symptoms have cleared, "usually five to seven days".
It also recommends:
- Wearing a mask indoors or on public transport "if you must leave the house"
- Avoiding large gatherings and crowded indoor places
- Not visiting vulnerable people or locations for at least seven days after testing positive
WA
WA's Department of Health recommends isolating until symptoms have cleared up, noting "this could take up to 10 days or more and a minimum of five days is a good guide".
After testing positive you should avoid high-risk settings "including hospitals, disability, mental health and aged care residential facilities".
Here's how COVID-19 case numbers are looking in Australia in 2024
Changes in testing and reporting requirements mean Australia's figures are likely underestimated, according to Professor Kelly.
"When you look at the official figures of cases, that reflects what's happening in the community and it's helpful for monitoring, but it's not the total story," he told the ABC last month.
"There is definitely more cases in the community than are being officially reported."
The dominant variant across Australia is called JN.1.
In early January this variant prompted warnings from several states, but experts have said there's no evidence it's more severe than other variants.
JN.1 directly evolved from BA.2.86, the 2023 "Pirola" variant which emerged in August 2023, ultimately stemming from the Omicron variant.
Research suggests it is significantly more infectious than other variants.
"The JN.1 variant appears to have become a dominant circulating variant in Australia and globally," the Department of Health spokesperson told the ABC.
"In the 28-day period to 4 February 2024, JN.1 sequences constituted two thirds of all uploaded sequences in AusTrakka, Australia's genomics surveillance system.
"There is no evidence that JN.1 is associated with more severe disease."