COVID confusion: BC CDC quickly reverses isolation guidance

Just hours after the BC CDC put out an update on their website reducing the isolation period for unvaccinated individuals who contract COVID-19 from 10 days to five, the organization has updated its guidance on isolation yet again.

To make things simpler, the BC CDC web page has been updated with a series of tabs with different scenarios.

The new guidance breaks things down by age and vaccination status.

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Ending isolation if you’re fully vaccinated or less than 18 years old

Isolation can end when the following conditions are met:

Five days have passed since symptoms started, or from test date if no symptoms
Fever has resolved without fever-reducing medication like acetaminophen or ibuprofen
Symptoms have improved

Non-essential visits to higher-risk settings like long-term care facilities and gatherings should be avoided for another five days after isolation ends.

Ending isolation if you’re 18 or older and not fully vaccinated

Isolation can end when the following conditions are met:

10 days have passed since symptoms started, or from day you tested positive if no symptoms
Fever has resolved without fever-reducing medication like acetaminophen or ibuprofen
Symptoms have improved

The BC CDC recommends you continue to isolate if you have a fever or if you’re not feeling better.

“Presence of mild symptoms does not necessarily mean that you are contagious after 5 days. It can take longer to completely recover from the illness. Most people recover within two weeks. Some people with more severe symptoms can take up to 12 weeks or more to feel entirely better,” says the BC CDC.

For those who have been hospitalized, the BC CDC recommends speaking to a health care provider for guidance on ending isolation.

A week of confusion

This wasn’t the first update from BC health officials that caused confusion this week.

Earlier this week, BC seemed to update its health order on gym and fitness centre closures when a document showed that the expiration date had been removed. It was initially set to expire on January 18. This led some to believe the gym closures would be extended indefinitely.

The next day we learned that gyms were in fact going to reopen on January 20. On Tuesday, Provincial Health Officer Dr. Bonnie Henry suggested the sudden change in stance wasn’t due to public pressure, but she apologized for the confusion nonetheless.

BC CDC response

The BC CDC has issued an apology for the confusion.

In a statement the organization writes, “we apologize for the web posting and changes that occurred yesterday. We understand the significant interest in these testing and isolation guidelines, which is why we updated the website immediately with clarifications made yesterday. We recognize this approach led to confusion.”

In terms of why this sudden change took place, the BC CDC seemed to suggest that the Omicron variant has forced them to quickly adapt.

“The guidance and how we manage the situation is changing rapidly and we always intend to provide the public with the most up-to-date information as quickly as possible.”

The BC CDC adds that it expects further changes in the weeks to come, but that they will strive to ensure that “there is a better change management process for future changes.”