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Biden's COVID-19 'rebound' case throws isolation guidelines into question

A COVID-19 omicron-specific vaccine could be here as soon as next month. KPBS Health Reporter Matt Hoffman says some experts are urging people not to wait if they haven’t gotten vaccinated or boosted.

President Joe Biden's rebound case of COVID-19 is raising questions about the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines for isolating during a COVID-19 infection. The CDC guidelines recommend five days of isolation, but the average time it takes an infection to clear is closer to 10 days, said Dr. Eric Topol, director of the Scripps Research Translational Institute.

"The CDC guidelines are completely wrong. They're not evidence based," Topol said. "Unfortunately, the current CDC guidelines that are now so many months [old] and so wrong are helping to spread the virus."

The questions over COVID-19 safety guidelines come as San Diego County declares monkeypox virus a public health emergency, following the state's lead.

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Topol joined Midday Edition on Wednesday to discuss COVID-19 guidelines and the ongoing distribution of monkeypox vaccines in San Diego.