In a statement, the CDC said that the shifting isolation recommendations were based on “science demonstrating that the majority of SARS-CoV-2 transmission occurs early in the course of illness, generally in the 1-2 days prior to onset of symptoms and 2-3 after.” Additionally, CDC director Dr. Rochelle Walensky said that these new guidelines will mean that people don’t necessarily need to put their lives on hold just because they’ve been exposed to someone who’s COVID-19-positive.

“The Omicron variant is spreading quickly and has the potential to impact all facets of our society,” Dr. Walensky said in a statement. “CDC’s updated recommendations for isolation and quarantine balance what we know about the spread of the virus and the protection provided by vaccination and booster doses. These updates ensure people can safely continue their daily lives. Prevention is our best option: get vaccinated, get boosted, wear a mask in public indoor settings in areas of substantial and high community transmission, and take a test before you gather.”

Our understanding of COVID-19 has changed rapidly throughout the pandemic, which often leads to shifting guidance from scientists and epidemiologists. While guidance has been fluid throughout the pandemic, one thing that’s stayed relatively consistent is the CDC’s guidelines on isolation and quarantine. For much of the pandemic, the CDC recommended that those who were exposed to COVID-19 quarantine for 14 days, reducing it to 10 days earlier this year.

Now, with the new recommendation set at five days, some might be wondering if that’s too little. In a recent call between President Biden and the National Governors Association, the President was asked if he supported the reduction in recommended quarantine time. His reply was straightforward,

Dr. Anthony Fauci, who serves as the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and the Chief Medical Advisor to the President, has said that the CDC cut the recommended isolation time so those who are asymptomatic can return to work quicker. As reported by The Hill, Fauci said there’s concern that with a more infectious variant like Omicron, we have too many asymptomatic people out of work at once under the older guidance.

“The reason is that with the sheer volume of new cases that we are having and that we expect to continue with omicron, one of the things we want to be careful of is we don’t have so many people out,” Fauci said in a CNN interview. He added that the recommendation “makes sense,” as focusing too much on isolating asymptomatic individuals could leave critical roles unfilled by people who otherwise may be able to work.

However, with fears that the Omicron variant could be much more transmissive than the Delta variant, this decision from the CDC may be a controversial one. More data ultimately needs to be collected on the Omicron variant before we have a clear picture on just how dangerous and infectious it is, but for now, at least, the CDC seems to be okay with easing recommendations on asymptomatic individuals.