The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced earlier this week that it was shortening its recommended quarantine for those who test positive for COVID-19 but are asymptomatic from ten days to five — but while some people are celebrating the change, others are skeptical.
Initially, COVID sufferers were advised to isolate for two weeks after exposure, a timeframe that was shortened to ten days for people with no symptoms last December.
When the CDC‘s recommended quarantine was cut in half on Monday, critics argued that the move was ‘reckless.’
On Twitter, hundreds of users have responded with humor by dreaming up their own tongue-in-cheek CDC recommendations that they imagine are equally unsafe, from running with scissors to sticking forks into electrical sockets.
The internet is roasting the CDC after they changed the recommended quarantine time for those who test positive for COVID-19 – turning the news into a hilarious meme (Stock photo)
CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky defended the new recommendation in a press release.
‘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,’ she said.
According to the CDC, the virus is most infectious one to two days before symptoms develop and the two to three days after.
The announcement was met with a firestorm of responses, from both enthusiastic approval to wary skepticism.
Businesses and industry leaders led the positive reactions, applauding the move as a way to combat staff shortages.
But some medical professionals, like Harvard epidemiologist Dr. Michael Mina, called it ‘reckless’ and insisted that some people can be infectious for up to 12 days. Several critics said that anyone ending their isolation early should also get a negative COVID test.
On Twitter, critics expressed their confusion and doubt with memes, joking about other things the CDC may now recommend.
People began tweeting things that are clearly unsafe, and claiming that the CDC has now recommended them – like licking people and sticking forks into electrical sockets
‘The CDC says you can now run with scissors,’ one person wrote.
‘The CDC now says a Venti iced coffee and two ibuprofen is a balanced breakfast,’ another joked, while a third said: ‘CDC recommends quarantining in a bag of uncooked rice for 10 minutes.’
Someone else tweeted: ‘CDC says it’s now OK for healthcare workers to stick forks into electrical sockets.’
‘CDC says when you’ve reached the center of a Tootsie Roll Pop, your quarantine is over,’ yet another message read.
‘CDC recommends splitting up your quarantine over your two 15min breaks,’ added one more Twitter user.
‘The cdc recommends yelling NOT IT and running away really fast,’ read another tweet.
Read one more: ‘The CDC recommends bringing me soup and giving me a little kiss to make sure I get better.’
Some poked fun at how the new quarantine period seems to benefit employers
Some poked fun at how the new quarantine period seems to benefit employers.
‘The CDC recommends employees not wash their hands after using the restroom so they can get back to work sooner,’ said one.
‘The CDC now recommends, if you’re worried about infecting your family, you should never physically leave your place of employment,’ wrote another.
‘The CDC recommends you quarantine at your desk, and keep f***ing working,’ read another tweet.
The trend took off like wildfire, with some people even using lyrics to popular songs in their tweets.
‘The CDC says you can dance if you want to,’ one person wrote, referring to the track Safety Dance by Men Without Hats.
Other tweets contained fake recommendations from the CDC about all sorts of things including relationships, money status, and hairstyles
‘The CDC recommends that you should release your inhibitions and feel the rain on your skin,’ another added, referencing the hit song Unwritten by Natasha Bedingfield.
‘The CDC says you can come out of your cage if you’re doing just fine,’ someone else said, which is lyrics from the tune Mr. Brightside by The Killers.
One Twitter user quoted Legally Blonde, writing:’ The CDC recommends that you’re forbidden to wet your hair for at least 24 hours after getting a perm at the risk of deactivating the immonium thygocolate.’
Other tweets contained fake recommendations from the CDC about all sorts of things including relationships, money status, and hairstyles.
‘The CDC recommends not being poor,’ one Twitter user said.
Another added: ‘CDC says go ahead and get bangs.’
‘The CDC now recommends ignoring the red flags and texting him anyway,’ one funny tweet read.
