COVID

The Massachusetts Department of Public Health has updated its guidance in keeping with Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommendations for respiratory viruses. COVID-19 guidance is now incorporated within the general guidance for common respiratory illnesses. 

The Wellesley Board of Health supports these new guidelines, recognizing that all respiratory viruses pose a danger to medically vulnerable people, and that common sense precautions can be protective. With widespread immunity and lower rates of hospitalization and death, there is no longer a need to isolate for 5 days after a positive test for COVID-19. However, if you have risk factors for severe COVID-19 and would benefit from treatment (such as Paxlovid), you should test for COVID-19 (using a home test or lab-based test). Home tests can take several days to become positive after symptom onset. The Massachusetts Department of Public Health has comprehensive webpages about COVID-19 with information, guidance, and an interactive dashboard with data from the Commonwealth.

The Wellesley Board of Health supports the Wellesley Public Schools’ adoption of new COVID-19 guidelines from the Massachusetts Department of Public Health and Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. Recognizing widespread community immunity to the virus and the much lower risk of hospitalization and death from the virus, it is time to approach COVID-19 the same way other respiratory viruses are handled. Students and staff with respiratory symptoms should stay home until they have had no fever (without fever-lowering medication) for at least 24 hours, and until they are feeling well enough to function normally at school or work. Best practices to prevent spread of infection to others when you have respiratory symptoms include hand hygiene and mask wearing.