CDC Updates Return-to-Work Guidance for Respiratory Viruses

• By: Maureen Carland
• On: 09/17/2026 09:29:05
• In: Quality/Regulatory

CDC has FINALLY updated its return-to-work guidance for healthcare personnel with COVID-19, flu, RSV, and similar respiratory viruses. The new Viral Respiratory Infections guidance replaces the old virus-specific rules with one consistent standard — and drops testing from the return-to-work criteria entirely. Click HERE for an easy to follow algorithm.

Personnel with symptoms can return once they've had symptoms for at least three days (or tested positive, if asymptomatic), gone 24 hours fever-free without medication, and are improving and feeling well enough to work — day four at the earliest. Source control is required through day seven. Asymptomatic staff with a known exposure don't need to be excluded from work at all; they should mask through day five and watch for symptoms. This does not apply to severely ill or immunocompromised personnel, who need individualized, case-by-case decisions — see the CDC's guidance for immunocompromised healthcare personnel.

Facilities should update infection prevention and return-to-work policies now, train staff on the new day-zero/day-four/day-seven timeline.   Resident isolation and Transmission-Based Precautions are unchanged.

Staff contact: mcarland[at]mehca.org