The California Department of Public Health has updated its COVID-19 guidance for people who have tested positive but are asymptomatic.
Under the guidance posted earlier this month, those who are asymptomatic can now continue to go to school and work (though they are expected to mask up).
Rebecca Fielding-Miller, a social epidemiologist at UC San Diego, finds that frustrating as a public health researcher. She said while COVID-19 cases are no longer overwhelming the health care system, the disease is still very infectious.
"One thing that's really important to remember about this virus is: It has a really impressive ability to mutate," Fielding-Miller said. "And so we've seen that people can get infected over and over and over again."
And the constant reinfection increases a person's risk for long COVID, she said.
Another concerning factor for Fielding-Miller is that vaccination rates are also low, especially among children. Only 5% of children under 12 years old have gotten the latest booster.
Despite that, some school districts are starting to adopt the state’s guidance.
In an email to parents, San Diego Unified School District — the largest in the county — said starting Tuesday, people who have tested positive but do not have symptoms may stay at school or work. Students and staff with symptoms can start going to school when they feel better and have been fever-free for 24 hours.
They are no longer required to stay home for five days.
Fielding-Miller said while children don’t get as sick from the virus, the same can’t be said for their parents and grandparents.
“What does this mean for kids who might be vulnerable themselves?" she said. "What does this mean for kids who live with family members who are vulnerable? Does this make schools a less accessible and a less welcoming space?”
The new guidance, however, does not affect health care workers, especially those in hospital settings. They're still expected to stay home for at least five days or until they have tested negative for COVID-19.
Unlike the state, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention still recommends that people isolate for five days after testing positive for COVID-19, regardless of symptoms. The agency said the first five days after infection are the most infectious.
Fielding-Miller said people should follow that advice and mask up, considering the uptick in COVID-19 hospitalizations and cases in San Diego.
