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COVID-19 Update: Onondaga County Receives Guidance on Coming Out of Isolation

Onondaga County now has new guidance on when to release those who’ve recovered after a positive COVID-19 diagnosis.  The county now has 194 confirmed cases; 20 are in the hospital and seven are critical.  There have also been five recoveries.  Many of the early cases are recovering to the point where they could be ready to come out of isolation.  Health Commissioner Dr. Indu Gupta says there are three criteria from the CDC:

"One:  At least 7 days have passed since symptoms first appeared, that's very important;  second, the fever fever has subsided for at least three days;  third, improvement in respiratory symptoms like cough and shortness of breath.  They might not have complete resolution of the symptoms, but they have continued to improve over the past few days."

Gupta says the fever must subside on its own, WITHOUT fever-reducing medicine.  She says they won’t be re-testing those who come out of isolation because test results could stay positive for 4 to 6 weeks after infection.  Gupta says the department will be reaching out to perform rigorous evaluations in the days ahead, but warns people still have to be vigilant in protecting their health and that of others.

"It's not a free pass to go and party and do whatever you want.  This is so crucial.  You have recovered; that's great.  But we do not know if you can get re-infected at this point if you are exposed to someone.  Keep the social distancing, six feet away.  These things still hold true for those who are being released from isolation or quarantine."

Gupta says they’ll also be checking for symptoms of others in the same household who’ve been quarantined because of a positive case.  If they come back clear, they’ll also be released. 

Scott Willis covers politics, local government, transportation, and arts and culture for WAER. He came to Syracuse from Detroit in 2001, where he began his career in radio as an intern and freelance reporter. Scott is honored and privileged to bring the day’s news and in-depth feature reporting to WAER’s dedicated and generous listeners. You can find him on twitter @swillisWAER and email him at srwillis@syr.edu.