What to know about the CDC's new Covid recommendations

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Good afternoon! The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced two new major Covid recommendations last week.

The first (and much more controversial) change applies to almost all of us. People who test positive for Covid-19 no longer need to stay away from others for at least five days, according to new guidelines the CDC issued on Friday.

The second, less surprising change is aimed at a smaller population: older people. The CDC recommended Thursday that people 65 and older receive an additional updated vaccine against the virus this spring.

The separate announcements show the complicated balancing act the CDC faces as the pandemic enters its fifth year.

On the one hand, the agency is trying to relax and simplify its previous health guidelines to reflect the progress the United States has made in reducing Covid hospitalizations and deaths over the past two years.

This is also intended to make CDC guidelines easier for Americans to understand and follow, especially at a time when many of them no longer want or can go a week without work or school.

On the other hand, the CDC is still trying to highlight the importance of using vaccines and treatments to combat the virus. These protective tools are essential for people at highest risk of serious complications from Covid, including older adults and immunocompromised patients.

Now, let's dive into the details of the two new recommendations.

The CDC's new isolation guidelines say people with Covid can resume daily activities if:

1. They have been fever-free and medication-free for at least 24 hours.
2. Your symptoms generally improve for at least 24 hours.

That's in line with the agency's public health advice for the flu and other respiratory illnesses. Notably, the recommendation does not apply to healthcare settings or nursing homes.

The CDC recommends that people recovering from Covid or other respiratory viruses take extra precautions for five days. They include wearing well-fitting masks, washing your hands, limiting close contact with other people, improving ventilation in your spaces, and testing as needed.

The agency noted that US states and countries that have already shortened their Covid isolation times have not seen an increase in Covid-related hospitalizations or deaths. That includes California and Oregon.

Previously, the CDC recommended that people with Covid stay home for at least five days to reduce their chances of transmitting the virus to others. The agency's initial isolation period was 10 days.

Some health experts had urged the agency to shorten that period even before the official announcement last week.

Dr. William Schaffner, an infectious disease expert at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, told NBC News last month that he and his colleagues have privately encouraged the CDC to eliminate the five-day isolation period. He said that's partly because there is little evidence that it is stopping the spread of the virus.

Other experts criticized the new CDC guidance.

The agency's new guidance “promotes people shedding viruses to infect others,” Dr. Eric Topol, founder and director of the Scripps Translational Research Institute, said in a post on X. He added that based on evidence from the rapid antigen tests, most people will still be infectious if they leave isolation early.

The CDC's other recommendation appeared to be less controversial. After all, in April the agency endorsed a second dose of last year's Covid vaccine for seniors and the immunocompromised.

On Thursday, the CDC said healthy older adults should receive an additional dose of the newest round of Covid vaccines at least four months after their most recent shot. Immunocompromised people are now eligible to receive another dose of the updated vaccine.

Those updated vaccines from Pfizer, Moderna and Novavax are designed to target the omicron XBB.1.5 subvariant. But the shots are also effective against the JN.1 subvariant, which currently accounts for more than 90% of new Covid infections in the US.

Now, the CDC is preparing for another round of new vaccines this fall.

Researchers are working on selecting a strain for the next version and will likely wait until May to choose one to design vaccines for, CDC Director Mandy Cohen said in an interview with Bloomberg on Monday.

And he hopes that will be the status quo going forward: “People should anticipate that when they get the flu vaccine, they will also receive an updated Covid vaccine,” he said.

A slight increase in funding for women's health

Happy Women's History Month!

It's no secret that founders receive far more venture capital funding than their female counterparts. The 30-year average of female founders' total share of investments sits at just 2.4%, according to a 2019 report from the Harvard Kennedy School.

However, a recent Deloitte report found that investments in women's health could be an emerging bright spot, although there is still plenty of room for improvement.

Investments in technology, pharmaceuticals, biotech and medical technology related to women's health grew 5% between 2022 and 2023, according to the report. Jennifer Radin, who leads Deloitte's U.S. healthcare advisory practice, said the increase in investment is “really exciting” because women have historically been underrepresented in both the design and delivery of healthcare. .

But even so, women's health still represents only 2% of venture funding for the healthcare industry overall, according to the report. There is still “a lot of room to grow,” Radin said.

She said women make up 50% of the U.S. population, 60% of the paid workforce and more than 65% of the unpaid workforce, which includes child and family care and household management. As a result, the perception of women's health as a niche market is changing.

“In reality, ensuring that women have access to high-quality, affordable women-centered care creates a more stable economy and a more stable society,” Radin told CNBC in an interview. “And so the business case for women's health is really clear and can be quantified.”

You can read the full report here.

A new frontier for venture capital

In January, venture firm General Catalyst announced it signed a letter of intent to acquire Summa Health, a nonprofit integrated health system in northeast Ohio that supports more than 1,000 inpatient beds.

It's an unprecedented move in venture capital and one that has sparked a mixed response from healthcare professionals, investors and Ohioans.

General Catalyst set the stage for the deal in late 2022 when it hired Dr. Marc Harrison, who spent most of the past two decades in the upper ranks of medical systems. A year later, the company introduced a new company called Health Assurance Transformation Corporation, or HATCo, for Harrison to lead.

Harrison said HATCo's goal is not to reform Summa by cutting costs. Instead, the company will work over a “time horizon of decades” to establish new revenue streams and care models, particularly through the introduction of new technology platforms and solutions.

CNBC explored the acquisition and what it will mean for Summa, plus why Harrison is up for the challenge. I'll have a lot more to do as it evolves!

Feel free to send tips, suggestions, story ideas, and facts to Annika at [email protected] and Ashley at [email protected].