Author: COVID-19 NEWS

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Links with this icon indicate that you are leaving the CDC website.The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) cannot attest to the accuracy of a non-federal website.
Linking to a non-federal website does not constitute an endorsement by CDC or any of its employees of the sponsors or the information and products presented on the website.
You will be subject to the destination website’s privacy policy when you follow the link.
CDC is not responsible for Section 508 compliance (accessibility) on other federal or private website.

For more information on CDC’s web notification policies, see Website Disclaimers.

Links with this icon indicate that you are leaving the CDC website.The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) cannot attest to the accuracy of a non-federal website.
Linking to a non-federal website does not constitute an endorsement by CDC or any of its employees of the sponsors or the information and products presented on the website.
You will be subject to the destination website’s privacy policy when you follow the link.
CDC is not responsible for Section 508 compliance (accessibility) on other federal or private website.

For more information on CDC’s web notification policies, see Website Disclaimers.

Because the U.S. supply of COVID-19 vaccine is expected to be limited at first, CDC is providing recommendations to federal, state, and local governments about who should be vaccinated first. CDC’s recommendations are based on those from the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), an independent panel of medical and public health experts.
The recommendations were made with these goals in mind:
Decrease death and serious disease as much as possible.
Preserve functioning of society.
Reduce the extra burden COVID-19 is having on people already facing disparities.
While CDC makes recommendations for who should be offered COVID-19 vaccine first, each state has its own plan for deciding who will be vaccinated first and how they can receive vaccines. Please contact your local health department for more information on COVID-19 vaccination in your area.

Links with this icon indicate that you are leaving the CDC website.The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) cannot attest to the accuracy of a non-federal website.
Linking to a non-federal website does not constitute an endorsement by CDC or any of its employees of the sponsors or the information and products presented on the website.
You will be subject to the destination website’s privacy policy when you follow the link.
CDC is not responsible for Section 508 compliance (accessibility) on other federal or private website.

For more information on CDC’s web notification policies, see Website Disclaimers.

What we know

US COVID-19 Cases Caused by Variants
View a map showing the number of confirmed cases in each state.

Viruses constantly change through mutation, and new variants of a virus are expected to occur over time. Sometimes new variants emerge and disappear. Other times, new variants emerge and persist. Multiple variants of the virus that causes COVID-19 have been documented in the United States and globally during this pandemic.
The virus that causes COVID-19 is a type of coronavirus, a large family of viruses. Coronaviruses are named for the crown-like spikes on their surfaces. Scientists monitor changes in the virus, including changes to the spikes on the surface of the virus. These studies, including genetic analyses of the virus, are helping scientists understand how changes to the virus might affect how it spreads and what happens to people who are infected with it.
Multiple variants of the virus that causes COVID-19 are circulating globally:
The United Kingdom (UK) identified a variant called B.1.1.7 with a large number of mutations in the fall of 2020. This variant spreads more easily and quickly than other variants. In January 2021, experts in the UK reported that this variant may be associated with an increased risk of death compared to other variant viruses, but more studies are needed to confirm this finding. It has since been detected in many countries around the world. This variant was first detected in the US at the end of December 2020.
In South Africa, another variant called B.1.351 emerged independently of B.1.1.7. Originally detected in early October 2020, B.1.351 shares some mutations with B.1.1.7. Cases caused by this variant have been reported in the US at the end of January 2021.
In Brazil, a variant called P.1 emerged that was first identified in travelers from Brazil, who were tested during routine screening at an airport in Japan, in early January. This variant contains a set of additional mutations that may affect its ability to be recognized by antibodies. This variant was first detected in the US at the end of January 2021.
These variants seem to spread more easily and quickly than other variants, which may lead to more cases of COVID-19. An increase in the number of cases will put more strain on health care resources, lead to more hospitalizations, and potentially more deaths.
So far, studies suggest that antibodies generated through vaccination with currently authorized vaccines recognize these variants. This is being closely investigated and more studies are underway.
Rigorous and increased compliance with public health mitigation strategies, such as vaccination, physical distancing, use of masks, hand hygiene, and isolation and quarantine, is essential to limit the spread of the virus that causes COVID-19 and protect public health.

The safest way to celebrate events is at home with the people who live with you. Travel and gatherings with family and friends who do not live with you can increase your chances of getting or spreading COVID-19 or the flu.
If you plan to host or attend a small gathering, there are steps you can take to reduce your risk of getting or spreading COVID-19. These tips are meant to supplement—not replace—any state, local, territorial, or tribal health and safety laws, rules, and regulations.

Links with this icon indicate that you are leaving the CDC website.The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) cannot attest to the accuracy of a non-federal website.
Linking to a non-federal website does not constitute an endorsement by CDC or any of its employees of the sponsors or the information and products presented on the website.
You will be subject to the destination website’s privacy policy when you follow the link.
CDC is not responsible for Section 508 compliance (accessibility) on other federal or private website.

For more information on CDC’s web notification policies, see Website Disclaimers.

You may have received a COVID-19 test in prison or jail. If you test negative, you probably were not infected at the time they took your sample. The test result only means that you did not have COVID-19 at the time of testing. Also, you may have been exposed to COVID-19 between the time you were last tested and the time you got out. So, you should stay away from others (quarantine) as much as you can for 14 days after release to protect yourself and others. Visit Test for current infection.
If you get sick with COVID-19 during the 14 days you are staying away from others, ask for a COVID-19 test. If you do not have a doctor, contact a health center or health department. See how under the next question: “After I get out of prison or jail,  where can I get help during the COVID-19 pandemic?”
Symptoms of COVID-19 include
Fever/chills
Cough
Feeling tired
Having a hard time breathing
Pain in the head or body

Loss of taste or smell
Sore throat
Stuffy or runny nose
Nausea/vomiting
Diarrhea

During quarantine it is best to stay alone in a private living space, if you can, to avoid contact with other people. Ideally, your space should include your own bedroom and bathroom. Before you are released, contact friends or family to find a place to stay. If you cannot find space with family or friends, find homeless shelters in the area.
If you can find housing before you are released, set up a space with clothing, food, medicine, cleaning supplies, and any other items you may need while in quarantine. Get things that will help protect you and others from getting COVID-19 once you are released. Items include face masks, hand sanitizer, soap, and paper towels, or a cloth towel that only you use or that you change often. Visit COVID-19 prevention link to learn more about how to protect yourself and others.
You may also need other items to help you get health and social services once you get out. Before release, ask a prison or jail worker about how to get these things upon release:
Prison ID card, or birth certificate or social security card
Small supply of your medicines
Copy of your medical records
If you can, ask a doctor or nurse; if there is not a doctor or nurse, ask a prison or jail worker.

Purpose
SARS-CoV-2 testing may be incorporated as part of a comprehensive approach to reducing transmission in non-healthcare workplaces. This document describes the elements of consent and recommended disclosures necessary to support employee decision-making for participating in workplace-based testing. This document expands on the disclosures outlined in “SARS-CoV-2 Testing Strategy: Considerations for Non-Healthcare Workplaces.”
Overview: Consent and Supporting Employee Decision-Making
Workplace-based testing should not be conducted without the employee’s informed consent. Informed consent requires disclosure, understanding, and free choice, and is necessary for an employee to act independently and make choices according to their values, goals, and preferences.
Differences in position and authority (i.e., workplace hierarchies), as well as employment status in non-standard working arrangements (e.g., temporary help, contract help, or part-time employment), can affect an employee’s ability to make free decisions. To fully support employee decision-making and consent, employers should take the following measures when developing a testing program:
Ensure safeguards are in place to protect an employee’s privacy and confidentiality.
Provide complete and understandable information about how the employer’s testing program may impact employees’ lives, such as if a positive test result or declination to participate in testing may mean exclusion from work.
Explain any parts of the testing program an employee would consider especially important when deciding whether to participate. This involves explaining the key reasons that may guide their decision.
Provide information about the testing program in the employee’s preferred language using non-technical terms. Consider obtaining employee input on the readability of the information. Employers can use this tool to create clear messages.
Encourage supervisors and co-workers to avoid pressuring employees to participate in testing.
Encourage and answer questions during the consent process. The consent process is active information sharing between an employer or their representative and an employee, in which the employer discloses the information, answers questions to facilitate understanding, and promotes the employee’s free choice.
Disclosures for Workplace Testing
An employer’s testing program (including the implementation of a testing protocol to test employees) may be complex and technical. Certain aspects of the testing program may be more relevant than others to an employee’s decision whether to accept an offered test. SARS-CoV-2 Testing Strategy: Considerations for Non-Healthcare Workplaces identifies disclosures important for employees contemplating testing. Many of these disclosures are addressed in the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) emergency use authorization patient fact sheetexternal icon for the test, which must be provided during the consent process. Those disclosures include:
The manufacturer and name of the test
The test’s purpose
The type of test
How the test will be performed
Known and potential risks of harm, discomforts, and benefits of the test
What it means to have a positive or negative test result, including:
Test reliability and limitations
Public health guidance to isolate or quarantine at home, if applicable

Additionally, an employer should be prepared to address the following topics:
General Considerations
Why is the employer offering to test employees?
How frequently will employees be tested, and will they be asked to consent to each test?
What happens if an employee declines to be tested?
Scheduling and Payment
Is the employee obligated to schedule the test and travel to the site?
Will the employer pay for the employee’s time and travel?
Are there any available accommodations or alternatives for an employee who declines to take the test?
Who pays for the test, including:
Will the employer pay for the test?
Will the employee’s insurance be billed for the test or will the employee be billed for a copayment?
Will the employee pay for the test?
Will the employee’s insurance be billed for follow-up care if needed?
Will the employee pay for follow-up care if needed?

Testing Site
Who will be administering the test and what are their qualifications?
Where will the test be performed?
Will the test provider require any temperature and symptom screening prior to administering the test?
Communication and Interpretation of Results
When will the results be provided to employees, and in what confidential manner?
Who will interpret the test and what are their qualifications?
The test provider’s obligation to report a positive result to the public health authority.
What happens if the employee tests positive, including:
Who will inform the employee about guidance for employee isolation and quarantine for those who have been around the employee?
Is there a need for follow-up testing?
Is there a need for medical evaluation?
Will the employer take any action, including any follow-up with the employee such as contact tracing?
When can the employee return to the work site?
Are there any flexible and supportive leave and other benefit policies available to the employee?
Will the employee be paid for any lost work time?
Will the employee’s benefits be affected?

What happens if the employee tests negative, including any need for follow-up testing?
Privacy
What personal information does the employee need to provide (e.g., name, date of birth) to the test provider?
Will that demographic information be retained, and if so, by whom and for how long?
How will personal information be kept confidential and secure (i.e., restricted from unauthorized access or disclosure)?
Which employer representative(s) will have access to the employee’s result?
Whether, where, and for how long will the employer retain the result?
How will the employer keep the result confidential and secure?
Seeking Additional Help or Reporting Injuries
Who to contact for additional information about the employer’s testing program (e.g., an employer or union representative)?
Who to contact to explain an employee’s rights?
Who to contact if assistance is needed (e.g., language translation or transportation to and from the testing site)?
Will the employer provide treatment for any employee injuries from the test procedure and during transport to/from the testing site?