IDSA Support for CDC’s Change to COVID-19 Guidance

The United States has reached an important milestone in ongoing efforts to combat COVID-19. As COVID-19 case rates and hospitalization rates in the United States continue to decline, IDSA supports the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s update to its COVID-19 community guidance. The change in guidance reflects the high level of protection that vaccines offer against serious disease and death while recognizing that protections may remain in place in settings where spread is more likely such as health care or large congregate settings. 

The metric that CDC will now use to evaluate the need for protections like masking focuses primarily on COVID-19 hospitalization rates in communities. CDC will continue to track transmissions to foreshadow changes to these local hospitalization rates and update the guidance if and where it becomes necessary. Tracking transmission rates will be especially important so that immunocompromised individuals or others at risk of serious disease can remain informed and take measures to protect themselves. As the pandemic continues to evolve, new information or new variants may necessitate additional changes to guidance.

We continue to emphasize that vaccines are safe and highly effective in preventing severe disease, hospitalization and death. All eligible individuals should get vaccinated and boosted.

Daniel P. McQuillen, MD, FIDSA – President, Infectious Diseases Society of America

About IDSA
The Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA) is a community of over 12,000 physicians, scientists, and public health experts who specialize in infectious diseases. Its purpose is to improve the health of individuals, communities, and society by promoting excellence in patient care, education, research, public health, and prevention relating to infectious diseases. Learn more at https://www.idsociety.org/.