• Doug Most

    Associate Vice President, Executive Editor, Editorial Department Twitter Profile

    Doug Most is a lifelong journalist and author whose career has spanned newspapers and magazines up and down the East Coast, with stops in Washington, D.C., South Carolina, New Jersey, and Boston. He was named Journalist of the Year while at The Record in Bergen County, N.J., for his coverage of a tragic story about two teens charged with killing their newborn. After a stint at Boston Magazine, he worked for more than a decade at the Boston Globe in various roles, including magazine editor and deputy managing editor/special projects. His 2014 nonfiction book, The Race Underground, tells the story of the birth of subways in America and was made into a PBS/American Experience documentary. He has a BA in political communication from George Washington University. Profile

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There are 13 comments on Is Five Days of COVID Isolation Enough? New BU Study Has Some Answers

  1. The “strict masking” requirement is not currently properly substantiated by the scientific literature I have seen. The main evidence on community masking is mixed, with three Randomized Controlled Trials (specifically for COVID) failing to show any clear benefit for the university-student age cohort.

    If you are really worried about the small risk of transmission after 5 days, why not just say it that way and let students decide how to responsibly maintain caution thereafter? We let them drive and defend their country with their lives … why can’t we trust them to behave responsibly when feeling sick?

    Giving students unsubstantiated confidence in a mask is not scientifically appropriate.

    1. Because just as young adults are responsible for most car accidents, snd unwanted pregnancies due to unsafe practices , we should understand they are likely not to mask up for the remainder of the 5 days.

  2. Hello, I had two covid vaccines and one booster six months ago. I came down with covid symptoms on Tues April 12.
    I used a home kit to test on Wed April 13th. I tested positive
    I received monoclonal antibody infusion on Thurs April 14th.
    I have been symptom and fever free for 24 hours. I tested positive this morning. I am 74 years old.

  3. If 5 days is sufficient enough to stay isolated, and the next 5 days is strict mask wearing, how can there be strict mask wearing when kids only get 5 days to stay home and are allowed to go back to school and sit and have lunch with other children, this will surely pass the virus on to other children thus continuing spreading of covid virus and more lives lost. I do not agree with 5 days only self isolating, should be at least 10 days minimum. In this study there is proof that 17% were still testing possitive and able to pass the virus, 5 days is insufficient.

    1. I guess, you can say…IM NOT VERY TRUSTING IF MY GOVERNMENT LATELY! Joe Biden, said 2 weeks ago, that this winter there will be a new surge of the virus! Really! Are they letting our guard down…for a 5 day isolation, it still in our system and out in amongst others…and so the virus spreads! And here we go again…ANOTHER PANDEMIC, JUST LIKE “JOE”, said would hit us this winter! Far to much flip flopping on this China Virus, from the Oval Office! Just 5 days and home free? I don’t think so…is this how Joe’s winter pandemic begins, by going out into the public after 5 days…and passing it on to others….
      AND HERE WE GO AGAIN!
      Stay well.

  4. Covid is rising due to the facts the masks are off, indoor dining is no longer restricted, and social distancing is no longer required. Now the covid numbers throughout the United States have once again risen to over 100k a day. Also self isolating for only 5 days is accepted while having covid when we know that not everyone clears the virus in only 5 days. So what did we really expect here when we act as if this virus doesn’t exist anymore..

    1. Even if you have many of the rules in place you want, it comes down to people staying home and isolating with COVID and not going to a friends house with 20 people all inside or skipping the neighbors wedding. We are generally selfish. Rules won’t stop that.

  5. Thank you for your study it was very helpful and informative. I do have a question. Are you still contagious if you tested postive on April 17th(day 1) tested again on April 21st and 22nd ( days 5&6) and was negative but then tested on April 26th (day10) and was positive.
    Only symptom was a little scratchy throat 1st day then no symptoms. Fully vaccinated with a booster, isolated for 5 days then masked. On day 10 started with a very sore throat and tested positive.

  6. Re students who were positive, then isolated and tested negative after 3-5 days, are they not resilient? Do they also have to wear masks for 5 days?

  7. It is clear that the five day recommendation was based as much on economic and isolation impacts as it was on the ability to spread to other non-infected individuals. It is difficult to see a strict medical basis for this decision and it is clear that it becomes one of convenience for these young healthy, vaccinated, non-susceptible individuals.

    How about a study that looks at keeping individuals who are at risk ( rather than young healthy individuals) and focuses on protecting susceptible individuals rather than on the convenience of the young and healthy students.

  8. I am 70 yrs old. I Tezted positive 7 days ago today.; with moderate symptoms. I home tested o day 7 still show positive. My question is I work part-time in a dept. store; I don’t feel safe going back. I have only had a slight headache but no other systems. Should I isolate a little longer?

  9. I do not think 5 days are enough, 17% can cause a big trouble for others. Once the person go back the society, the person may have trouble to keep the masker on for eating lunch, feel too hot, touch everything the others do.
    I think it should require a negative result before stopping isolation. Testing kits should be free test for everyone. Today my husband went to test. He was told his insurance does not cover, he needs to pay $150 for a test in Walgreens. I think all Covid tests free can encourage people to do the test. Otherwise I heard some people even do not want to test, since you got it or not, no effect medicine. Doctors most time tell you drink a lot of water and Vc, zinc from counter. Some people even do not want to test since most of them are not very sick. The Covid will keep longer if we do not care enough.

  10. There was never any valid health reason to inject healthy young people. This is an entirely different agenda. 17% is a small minority, she says. 17% is close to one fifth of all of these injected kids. Where is the comparison with a cohort of healthy young people that were not injected, for these minor variants like omicron and BA5 and so on?

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