Survivors of Coronavirus Face an Uncertain Road Back to Normal
Many of the guidelines focus on symptoms, but some patients have symptoms so mild they may be imperceptible. And as many as 25% of infected people in the U.S. may be asymptomatic, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention director Robert Redfield recently said. Whether they are infectious is unknown, experts said. Asymptomatic patients can test positive for the virus almost a month after the initial exposure, some case reports from China and the U.S. suggest.
CDC guidelines say Covid-19 patients can discontinue home isolation if they meet these three criteria: They have been fever-free for at least 72 hours without taking fever-reducing drugs, respiratory symptoms like cough and shortness of breath have improved, and at least seven days have passed since symptoms first appeared. The agency stresses “the decision to stop home isolation should be made in consultation with your health-care provider...
