"COVID-19 Updates: CDC's Simplified Guidelines, End of Free Tests, and Fall Vaccine Plans"

The CDC has updated its isolation guidelines, now recommending that individuals with COVID-19 only need to isolate until they are fever-free for 24 hours without medication. Free at-home COVID tests will no longer be available after March 8, but schools can still order them. New vaccines targeting the XBB.1.5 Omicron strain are expected in the fall, and booster shots are recommended for adults 65 and older. The dominant COVID variant in the U.S. is JN.1, and cases and hospitalizations are currently decreasing. Masking is now a personal choice, but the CDC advises considering hospital admission levels in your area and other risk factors when deciding whether to wear a mask.