COVID-19 Webinar Features Demo of CDC's New Quarantine and Isolation Calculator
“I LOVE this tool and have used it with my own family,” said one of the many participants who attended a recent webinar that included a demonstration of CDC’s new Quarantine and Isolation calculator.
The demonstration was a key component of the April 21 “Virtual Town Hall: The Latest on COVID-19 and Navigating the Road Ahead,” the tenth in our series of webinars tailored to community-based organizations (CBOs) and their partners.
The event kicked off with a high-level overview of what to expect when vaccines become available for kids under five—including how messaging and access might differ from previous rollouts.
“We’re really aiming to have the vaccine available in a variety of settings to meet children and their families where they are as much as possible,” said Kevin Chatham-Stevens, MD, pediatric vaccine planning and implementation lead, CDC COVID-19 Vaccine Task Force. “We anticipate pharmacies and schools will play a much less prominent role in the vaccine program for children aged less than five years, and that primary care physicians such as pediatricians, family practice doctors and the medical home will play a larger role” as it allows parents the greatest opportunity for dialogue with their trusted healthcare provider.
The discussion then pivoted to a pair of important tools the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) developed to help keep our communities safe:
- the v-safe After Vaccination Health Checker—a smartphone-based program for monitoring COVID-19 vaccine safety using text messages and web surveys to periodically check in on vaccine recipients to see how they’re feeling; and,
- the new Quarantine and Isolation (Q&I) Calculator—a simple tool available in both English and Spanish that provides users with customized information and specific dates relating to leaving home, getting tested, wearing a mask around other people, etc. It’s also available as a widget that can be embedded on external websites.
Melissa Boyette with CDC’s Contact Tracing Innovations section said the calculator was designed to provide an easy way to navigate the latest quarantine and isolation guidance. She also spelled out who should use the calculator and who should not.
Who should use the calculator?
- People with COVID-19 who have mild or no symptoms
- People who are a close contact to someone with COVID-19
- Businesses, organizations and healthcare providers
The calculator does not apply to certain groups and settings, for instance:
- People who are moderately or severely ill or immunocompromised
- Healthcare settings and high-risk congregate settings such as correctional facilities, homeless shelters and long-term care facilities
Also, calculator guidance may not apply to all K-12 schools or early care and education settings with programs such as test to stay or mask to stay.
For more information, as well as a walk-through of exactly how to use the Q&I Calculator, check out the full webinar.
The webinar was held in partnership with the Vaccine Equity Cooperative and Health Leads. It is archived—along with other webinars of interest—on our CBO Resource Page.
This blog post is supported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) as part of a financial assistance award totaling $68,939,536 with 100 percent funded by CDC/HHS. The contents are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the official views of, nor an endorsement by, CDC/HHS or the U.S. Government.
