Illinois Covid-19 Guidelines: These Changes May Be Coming Soon

Just to see what answers I got, this morning I asked several people in the building if they knew what the current isolation guidelines are in Illinois for people who've tested positive for Covid-19.

• Two of them openly admitted that they had no idea whatsoever.
• One person was sure that you needed two full weeks of isolation before considering returning to work or school.
• Another figured it was about a week or ten days
• One was very certain that you don't have to isolate yourself at all
• The last person didn't have an answer, they just said "I'm sick of talking about Covid. I was sick of talking about Covid 4 years ago, and I'm even sicker of it now. Go away."

The bottom line to all of this is that there's plenty of confusion over what you're supposed to do if you test positive for Covid-19 in Illinois (and everywhere else), and there may be even more confusion if the CDC decides to change the guidelines.

A Couple Of Western States Recently Made Changes To Their Covid-19 Isolation Guidelines, And That Move May Prompt Other States Like Illinois To Make Changes, Too

If you remember some of the hardcore efforts and recommendations about isolation we had shouted at us during the pandemic, California's changes to their isolation guidelines are very, very different.

NBCChicago.com:

Last month, California announced new isolation guidelines. There, a person who tests positive for COVID and has no symptoms does not need to isolate, according to new state health guidelines. People who test positive and have mild symptoms, meanwhile, can end isolation once their symptoms improve and they’ve been fever-free for 24 hours without medication — even if that point arrives in less than five days.

The Current Covid-19 Isolation Guidelines In Illinois Will Remain The Same For The Time Being, But A New Report Says Changes Are Coming

The current Covide-19 isolation recommendations by the CDC say that everyone, regardless of vaccination status, should isolate from others for five days when they have COVID-19. Current guidelines also say people should isolate themselves if they are sick and suspect they have COVID-19, but do not yet have test results.

NPR.org:

Currently, people who test positive are advised to stay home for at least five days to reduce the chances of spreading the coronavirus to others. The unnamed officials told the Post that the agency will advise people to rely on symptoms instead. If a person doesn't have a fever and the person's symptoms are mild or resolving, they could still go to school or work. These changes could come as early as April.