NEW YORK —

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Tuesday explained the scientific rationale for shortening its COVID-19 isolation and quarantine recommendations, and clarified that the guidance applies to kids as well as adults.

The CDC also maintained that, for people who catch COVID-19, testing is not required to emerge from five days of isolation — despite hints from other federal officials that the agency was reconsidering that.

The agency announced the changes last week, halving the isolation time for Americans who catch the coronavirus and have no symptoms or only brief illnesses. Isolation should only end if a person has been fever-free for at least 24 hours without the use of fever-reducing medications and if other symptoms are resolving, the CDC added.

It similarly shortened the time that close contacts need to quarantine, from 10 days to five.

CDC officials previously said the changes were in keeping with evidence that people with the coronavirus are most infectious in the two days before and three days after symptoms develop.

Some experts have questioned how the new recommendations were crafted and why they were changed amid a spike in cases driven largely by the highly contagious omicron variant. Some also expressed dismay that the guidelines allowed people to leave isolation without getting tested to see if they were still infectious.

On Tuesday, the CDC posted documents designed to address those — and other — questions about the latest recommendations. The new guidance applies to school children as well as adults, the CDC said, responding to questions raised by school leaders around the country.

In laying out the scientific basis for the revisions, the agency said more than 100 studies from 17 countries indicate that most transmission happens early in an infection. The CDC acknowledged the data come from research done when delta and other pre-omicron variants were causing the most infections. But the agency also pointed to limited, early data from the U.S. and South Korea that suggests the time between exposure and the appearance of symptoms may be shorter for omicron than for earlier variants.

The CDC also took up the question of why it didn't call for a negative test before people emerge from isolation.

On Sunday, Dr. Anthony Fauci — the White House's top medical adviser — said the CDC was considering including the negative test as part of its guidance.

The agency said lab tests can show positive results long after someone stops being contagious, and that a negative at-home test may not necessarily indicate there is no threat. That's why, the agency said, it was recommending that people wears masks everywhere for the five days after isolation ends.

It did offer tips for those who have access to the tests and want to check themselves before leaving isolation.

Dr. Eric Topol, the head of the Scripps Research Translational Institute, accused the agency of furthering confusion. He agreed that it is appropriate to shorten isolation time, but only with testing.

"We do need to come up with a strategy that limits isolation time, but we don't want it to be one that's adding to the spread of the virus and unwittingly leading to the virus circulating," he said.

Yale University's Dr. Howard Forman said the updated recommendations were communicated poorly last week, but he also applauded the CDC for trying to be more nimble while dealing with limited science, a short supply of tests and an intensifying wave of infections.

Under the previous isolation and quarantine recommendations, "it was obvious that ... society was literally going to be disrupted. If you expected people to comply with those (old) rules, you might as well have a lockdown," said Forman, a radiologist who teaches public health policy.

The agency acknowledged people weren't following the longer recommendations: Research suggests only 25% to 30% of people were isolating for a full 10 days under the older guidance, the CDC said.

The CDC also suggests that people exposed to the virus quarantine for five days, unless they have gotten booster shots or recently received their initial vaccine doses. The agency said anyone exposed — regardless of vaccination status — should get tested five days later, if possible.

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Associated Press writer Carla K. Johnson contributed to this report.

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The Associated Press Health & Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute's Department of Science Education. The AP is solely responsible for all content.

After a woman tested positive for COVID-19 midflight, the bathroom became her seat for the next few hours.

Marisa Fotieo was on an Icelandair flight from Chicago to Reykjavik, Iceland, on Dec. 19, en route to her final destination of Switzerland with her brother and father.

Before the flight, Fotieo told CNN she took two PCR tests and about five rapid tests, all of which came back negative. But about an hour and a half into the flight, Fotieo started to feel a sore throat.

"The wheels started turning in my brain and I thought, 'OK, I'm going to just go take a test.' It was going to make me feel better," Fotieo told CNN. "Immediately, it came back positive."

Fotieo, who is fully vaccinated and has received the booster, is an early childhood teacher in Chicago. She tests consistently since she works with an unvaccinated population.

When she got her results in the airplane bathroom, over the Atlantic Ocean, she said she started to panic.

"The first flight attendant I ran into was Rocky. I was hysterical, I was crying," Fotieo said. "I was nervous for my family who I just had dinner with. I was nervous for the other people on the plane. I was nervous for myself."

Ragnhildur Eiríksdóttir, or Rocky, the flight attendant Fotieo ran into, helped calm her down.

"Of course, it's a stress factor when something like this comes up, but that's part of our job," Eiríksdóttir told CNN.

The flight attendant said she did what she could to try to rearrange seats so Fotieo could be seated in a spot alone, but the flight was full.

"When she came back and told me she couldn't find enough seating, I opted to stay in the bathroom because I did not want to be around others on the flight," Fotieo said.

A note was then put on the bathroom door saying it was out of service, and that was Fotieo's new seat for the remainder of the flight.

CNN contacted Icelandair on Thursday for comment but has yet to hear back.

Policies vary among airlines as to how to handle a COVID-positive passenger. This comes just weeks after the U.S. and other countries have made travel restrictions amid the spread of the omicron variant.

Fotieo was inside the bathroom for about three hours. Eiríksdóttir continuously checked up on her and provided her with plenty of food and drinks.

"I was in shock that I was missing out on a family trip. I was in shock that I was going to be in Iceland alone. I was in shock that I had 20 families back home that just had me in their classroom," Fotieo said.

While inside the bathroom, she said she bought internet access and made calls to let her school know. She also made a TikTok video, which has been viewed more than 4.3 million times, as of Thursday afternoon.

Fotieo said she did not feel crammed inside the bathroom and was just happy to not be in the main cabin with the rest of the passengers, one of which was her 70-year-old father.

Quarantined in Iceland

Once the plane touched down in Iceland, Fotieo and her family were the last ones off the flight.

Since her brother and father didn't have any symptoms, they were free to take their connecting flight to Switzerland. Fotieo was given both a rapid and PCR test at the airport, both of which were positive, she said.

She was then shuttled to a Red Cross hotel where she began her 10 days of quarantine.

Doctors checked in on her three times a day, she was given meals and medication was readily available. "Honestly it has been an easy experience," Fotieo said. "It's partially due to Rocky and the breed of Icelandic people. Everyone here is so kind."

Throughout her quarantine, she continued to document the experience on TikTok. She even received Christmas gifts and snacks from Eiríksdóttir, who she had stayed in contact with over social media.

"I knew she was going to be by herself in Iceland," Eiríksdóttir said. "So even if it's isolated, if you have someone there that can bring you something is nice. So, I just had to be that someone."

Fotieo's last day of quarantine was Dec. 30 and her family planned to meet up with her then. They will be able to experience Iceland together to make up for the lost time, as their flight back to the States is on Jan. 3.

And Fotieo has plans to meet up with Eiríksdóttir before she leaves the country. Eiríksdóttir also mentioned visiting Fotieo when she has flights over to Chicago.

"Coming out of this experience I have a new friend and I have a new outlook on how much flight attendants have to do," Fotieo said. "Rocky and the flight crew had me, but they also had the other passengers to deal with on the flight."

U.S. health officials on Monday cut isolation restrictions for Americans who catch the coronavirus from 10 to five days, and similarly shortened the time that close contacts need to quarantine.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention officials said the guidance is in keeping with growing evidence that people with the coronavirus are most infectious in the two days before and three days after symptoms develop.

The decision also was driven by a recent surge in COVID-19 cases, propelled by the omicron variant.

Early research suggests omicron may cause milder illnesses than earlier versions of the coronavirus. But the sheer number of people becoming infected — and therefore having to isolate or quarantine — threatens to crush the ability of hospitals, airlines and other businesses to stay open, experts say.

CDC Director Rochelle Walensky said the country is about to see a lot of omicron cases.

"Not all of those cases are going to be severe. In fact many are going to be asymptomatic," she told The Associated Press on Monday. "We want to make sure there is a mechanism by which we can safely continue to keep society functioning while following the science."

Last week, the agency loosened rules that previously called on health care workers to stay out of work for 10 days if they test positive. The new recommendations said workers could go back to work after seven days if they test negative and don’t have symptoms. And the agency said isolation time could be cut to five days, or even fewer, if there are severe staffing shortages.

Now, the CDC is changing the isolation and quarantine guidance for the general public to be even less stringent.

The guidance is not a mandate; it's a recommendation to employers and state and local officials. Last week, New York state said it would expand on the CDC's guidance for health-care workers to include employees who have other critical jobs that are facing a severe staffing shortage.

It's possible other states will seek to shorten their isolation and quarantine policies, and CDC is trying to get out ahead of the shift. "It would be helpful to have uniform CDC guidance" that others could draw from, rather than a mishmash of policies, Walensky said.

The CDC’s guidance on isolation and quarantine has seemed confusing to the public, and the new recommendations are "happening at a time when more people are testing positive for the first time and looking for guidance," said Lindsay Wiley, an American University public health law expert.

Nevertheless, the guidance continues to be complex.

Isolation

The isolation rules are for people who are infected. They are the same for people who are unvaccinated, partly vaccinated, fully vaccinated or boosted.

They say:

—The clock starts the day you test positive.

—An infected person should go into isolations for five days, instead of the previously recommended 10.

—At the end of five days, if you have no symptoms, you can return to normal activities but must wear a mask everywhere — even at home around others — for at least five more days.

—If you still have symptoms after isolating for five days, stay home until you feel better and then start your five days of wearing a mask at all times.

Quarantine

The quarantine rules are for people who were in close contact with an infected person but not infected themselves.

For quarantine, the clock starts the day someone is alerted to they may have been exposed to the virus.

Previously, the CDC said people who were not fully vaccinated and who came in close contact with an infected person should stay home for at least 10 days.

Now the agency is saying only people who got booster shots can skip quarantine if they wear masks in all settings for at least 10 days.

That’s a change. Previously, people who were fully vaccinated — which the CDC has defined as having two doses of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines, or one dose of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine — could be exempt from quarantine.

Now, people who got their initial shots but not boosters are in the same situation as those who are partly vaccinated or are not vaccinated at all: They can stop quarantine after five days if they wear masks in all settings for five days afterward.

Five days

Suspending both isolation and quarantine after five days is not without risk.

A lot of people get tested when they first feel symptoms, but many Americans get tested for others reasons, like to see if they can visit family or for work. That means a positive test result may not reveal exactly when a person was infected or give a clear picture of when they are most contagious, experts say.

When people get infected, the risk of spread drops substantially after five days, but it does not disappear for everyone, said Dr. Aaron Glatt, a New York physician who is a spokesman for the Infectious Diseases Society of America.

"If you decrease it to five days, you're still going to small but significant number of people who are contagious," he said.

That's why wearing masks is a critical part of the CDC guidance, Walensky said.

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The Associated Press Health & Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Department of Science Education. The AP is solely responsible for all content.

Several states have already started loosening their stay-at-home restrictions, and by the end of next week, more than half of the country will start to reopen.

"This is a global pandemic. Things are going to be different as we move back out of quarantine and into society," said Children's Hospital Colorado psychologist Laura Anthony.

These past few weeks have been hard on most Americans. As we start thinking about what the future might look like, Anthony says we could be seeing some changes in our children’s behavior.

"Most of us parents are seeing signs of stress or sadness or grief or frustration, disappointment in our kids, and we need to really be OK with letting them feel those things, just like we need to be okay with ourselves feeling those things," said Anthony.

Anthony says it’s important to share our feelings with our children. It's best to explain to them what the next few weeks might hold like having to wear masks, staying 6 feet apart, and whatever other recommendations the CDC makes.

"Our kids are going to feel more in control when they know what they can do as they’re kind of coming back out into society,” said Anthony. “It’s good for the rest of us, too. And it’s OK to say the reasons why we need to do those things.”

She also says it’s important to try to lessen the stress we put on ourselves as parents working from home and helping with school work.

"We’re all just doing the best we can, and I think parents should not feel guilty, offer themselves a little bit of kindness, and a little bit of grace,” she said. “You’re not in this alone.We’re all struggling, and all you can do is the best you can. That’s all any of us can do is the best we can.”

It is important to pay attention if your child feels overwhelmed to the point where they can’t function. That’s when you need to seek help from a professional.

Comedian Dave Chappelle has tested positive for COVID-19 but is asymptomatic, according to a statement from his spokeswoman obtained by CNN."Dave Chappelle is quarantined after testing positive for COVID-19. His remaining shows at Stubbs Waller Creek Amphitheater in Austin, TX have been canceled," Carla Sims, Chappelle's representative, said in the statement."Chappelle implemented COVID-19 protocols which included rapid testing for the audience and daily testing for himself and his team. His diligent testing enabled him to immediately respond by quarantining, thus mitigating the spread of the virus. Chappelle is asymptomatic," the statement continued.The website for the venue Chappelle was set to perform at with fellow comedian, Joe Rogan, shows his upcoming performances as canceled.Rogan posted a news site's headline saying Chappelle had tested positive for COVID-19 to his verified Instagram account and commented, "Sorry my friends, the Friday and Saturday shows at @stubbsaustin have been cancelled."

COVID-19 hospitalizations have doubled over the past three weeks, with 83,693 people hospitalized this week, according to data from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

There are no ICU beds are left in the entire state of Alabama, Dr. Don Williamson, president of Alabama Hospital Association, told Birmingham sister station WVTM-TV.

"We have never been here before. We are truly in uncharted territory," Williamson told the TV station.

Earlier Tuesday, Alabama was down to just two ICU beds. The Alabama Hospital Association issued a statement:

"We represent health care providers who have seen far too many of our fellow citizens become ill and die because of this disease, including children," the AHA and several other health care organizations said.

"We join all of you in wanting this to go away, but for that to happen it's going to take all of us. We respectfully request that those currently unvaccinated reconsider their decision. The benefits of getting vaccinated FAR outweigh any potential risk."

Alabama has 1,562 staffed intensive care unit beds and 1,560 patients in need of ICU care, AHA Executive Vice President Rosemary Blackmon told CNN. The Alabama Department of Public Health said 2,631 people are hospitalized with COVID-19 complications.

In Tennessee, "We are prepared to deploy additional medical personnel from the Tennessee National Guard to our hospitals in greatest need of assistance," the state health department wrote in a letter Monday.

In Kentucky, hospitals are starting to cancel or postpone surgeries that would require post-operative admission to the hospital, state Public Health Commissioner Dr. Steven Stack said.

"ICU and ventilator data — it is a vertical climb," Stack said Tuesday. "There's no sign it is abating. We are already just shy of our all-time record. Another day or two, we'll be past that record for ICUs."

Thousands more students are forced to stay home

More than 3,000 students and employees have been quarantined in the New Orleans Public School District due to COVID-19 cases in the past week, according to the district's latest tally.

That represents 5.89% of all students and teachers in the school district.

In Florida, 5,599 students and 316 employees in in Hillsborough County Public Schools were in isolation or quarantine as of Monday morning due to COVID-19 cases, according to the school district.

At least 577 students and 352 employees have tested positive this month, according to the district's COVID-19 tracker.

The Hillsborough County School Board said it will have an emergency meeting Wednesday to discuss COVID-19 mitigation strategies — which may include "mandatory face coverings for all students and staff."

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis' office has said the state could withhold salaries of officials who impose mask mandates in schools.

But most Americans — 69% — support local school districts requiring everyone to wear masks when inside schools, according to Axios-Ipsos poll results published Tuesday.

A majority, 77%, oppose state governments withholding funding from school districts or local governments that implement mask mandates.

The poll, which was conducted Aug. 13 to 16 and made up of a nationally representative sample of 1,041 U.S. adults, also found that 64% of Americans support state and local governments requiring masks in all public places.

The US is 'flying blind' on the full extent of COVID-19 and kids

Doctors say one way to help students stay in classrooms is to have students — particularly those who are not vaccinated — wear masks in school, health experts say.

"It shouldn't be for months. It shouldn't be forever. But right now, when people are coming back in, masking is a reasonable public health step," said Dr. Brett Giroir, former assistant secretary for health in the Trump administration.

"I support it and encourage parents to encourage their children to do it."

During this delta variant surge, COVID-19 hospitalizations have soared among children. But the total number of severe pediatric cases is unknown.

"Only 23 states and New York City actually report the number of children in hospitals," said Giroir, a pediatrician. He said Texas and Florida are among the states where the total number of child COVID-19 hospitalizations are unknown.

"Talking about flying blind, relative to children," Giroir said. "We need better data, and that's got to be the basis for action."

Giroir said it's important to remember the risk of long COVID for some who get COVID-19 — "meaning for months they'll be in pain, they'll be fatigued, they'll have brain fog, because their memory centers in their brain shrink."

Because COVID-19 vaccination is only available for Americans ages 12 and up, face masks play a key role in helping children avoid the Delta variant — and keeping students in school instead of quarantine, CNN medical analyst Dr. Leana Wen said.

If students are going to be in a room before they can all be vaccinated, it is crucial to have proper testing, ventilation and masking, Wen said.

"Why wouldn't we want every single tool at our disposal to help to keep our children safe at this point?" she said.

'The delta variant ... is because of unvaccinated reservoirs'

About 50.9% of Americans have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

That leaves plenty of chances for the highly contagious delta variant to spread, send more people to hospitals and prevent more students from learning in classrooms.

"The delta variant that we're dealing with is because of unvaccinated reservoirs," said Dr. Chris T. Pernell, fellow at the American College of Preventive Medicine.

"When we have a significant portion of the population (unvaccinated) ... the virus runs amok. It has free course to mutate and to try to get ahead of the interventions and immune system."

Booster shots might be available in the coming months

Fully vaccinated people might be able to get more protection against COVID-19 in the form of a booster shot in the coming months.

On Monday, Pfizer and BioNTech said they submitted initial data to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to support the use of a booster dose of the COVID-19 vaccine.

The dose elicited a significantly higher antibody response against the initial strain of coronavirus and the Delta and Beta variants compared to what was seen among people who got two doses, they said.

The booster dose seemed to be equally protective against the Delta and Beta variants as against the original strain of novel coronavirus.

But "that's actually ... not answering the key question we have remaining right now," Wen said. "The key question is: How quickly does immunity wane after the first two doses?"

With the more transmissible Delta variant spreading, top officials in the Biden administration are coming to an agreement that most Americans should get a booster shot eight months after being fully vaccinated, according to sources familiar with the discussions.

The Biden administration's plan, which is still being developed, would involve administering third shots beginning in mid- to late September, one source told CNN, pending authorization from the FDA.

Because health care workers and nursing home patients were first to receive their shots, the administration expects they'll be first to receive boosters as well.

Last week, the FDA authorized third doses for some people who are immunocompromised. The CDC almost immediately recommended giving those doses.

Hospitals feeling the weight of the increase

Forty states are seeing a surge in the average number of new cases compared to the week before, according to data from Johns Hopkins University. And the impact can be seen in strained health care systems.

Cases in Mississippi have continued to rise, with the latest data from the state department of health showing 7,839 new cases and 52 new deaths in the three days to August 15.

In response to the record number of COVID-19 hospitalizations, the University of Mississippi Medical Center said a second field hospital is being constructed in one of its parking garages.

The field hospital will have critical care capacity and care for up to 32 patients at a time, the medical center said.

In Texas, following a review of the rise in fatalities, the Department of State Health Services submitted a request for five mortuary trailers as "a normal part of preparedness to have these available to support local jurisdictions in case they need them," DSHS Press Officer Douglas Loveday said.

Like the governor of Florida, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott issued an executive order banning school districts from requiring masks.

Texas and Florida lead the nation in pediatric hospitalizations.

As of Monday, 239 Texas children were hospitalized with COVID-19, according to HHS data. Texas had 170 children hospitalized with COVID-19.

Finding that special someone can be tough in the best of times. But couples who met each other over the past year have had to balance getting closer emotionally while staying physically apart.

Dating during the pandemic has come with novelties at every turn. Megan Farley started dating her boyfriend right before staying at home became the norm.

"He's met my mom once, and we've been dating more than a year," Farley said. "It's just kind of strange. We didn't do family holidays and I've been fortunate enough to meet his family too, but every time we do this we have to get tested because his family lives with his grandfather."

Instead of spending time out with each other's friends, they've spent more time inside playing games.

"I feel like it made us bond a little bit more just because we weren't able to have all those other distractions," Farley said. "It really showed the connection we have."

Courtney Quinlan owns Midwest Matchmaking. She said business is not only busy, but dating itself has changed with COVID-19.

"People are dating with the intentions of finding a lasting relationship more so than the previous hook-up culture. A lot of people are A, not having resources to just go out to bars anymore because they're not open, or B, they're scared to do that," Quinlan said.

Sidney Jacobson got into a relationship shortly before the first case of the virus arrived in Iowa. She said she's kept her circle of contacts small, but now she's planning Summerset Winery's first indoor event for Valentine's Day.

"It will be very private, intimate," Jacobson said. "Only 12 groups down in the cellar, and then we made sure that tables are going to be spaced out."

New health guidelines in place for Ohio schools may mean avoiding quarantine for those students who have been exposed to COVID-19 – but they'll need to wear a mask and follow other recommendations.

Cincinnati Public Schools Board of Education voted to require masks be worn in all district buildings for the upcoming 2021-2022 school year at their meeting Wednesday night. Other local districts have yet to announce their plans.

New guidance from the Ohio Department of Health recommends:

• Masking for all students and staff regardless of vaccination status
• At least three feet of physical distance between desks
• Strategies to increase ventiliation
• Cleaning protocols
• Identification of individuals experiencing COVID-19 symptoms

“I think anytime we make a decision that keeps kids in school in a safe way, that is a game-changer,” Mason City Schools superintendent & CEO Jonathan Cooper said.

Quarantine was difficult for students last year, Cooper added, but new state guidance would allow students to stay in school if they’re masking up.

“So, this idea of if you’re wearing a mask you can stay in school is such a big request for us because I think it will encourage more people to wear a mask to keep each other safe as we come back to school together in a week,” he said.

Cooper said about 95% of teachers and staff in Mason are already vaccinated. There are also strong vaccination rates in neighborhoods around the schools – about 70% have at least one dose.

“They are using that to try and probably force schools, administrators, board members to make masks mandatory across the board this year,” said Shannon Wintheiser, the parent of an elementary school student in Sycamore Community Schools.

She said she doesn’t believe masks in schools are healthy for young children, and is leery of the new state guidance.

“Saying that if you’re all masked nobody has to quarantine, nobody has to miss school, and it’s kind of strong-arming the districts, I think, that haven’t made that decision yet or have perhaps made the decision to be optional. Trying to strong-arm them back into giving them another reason to try to do a mandated mask.”

Editor’s note: With our coronavirus coverage, our goal is not to alarm you but to equip you with the information you need. We will try to keep things in context and focus on helping you make decisions. See a list of resources and frequently asked questions here.

CINCINNATI -- Social distancing may help prevent the spread of COVID-19, but those methods are taking their toll on people battling addiction. A number of treatment centers, including Greater Cincinnati Behavioral Health Services, haven't closed their doors completely, but they've had to change how they provide care.

“Now more than ever, I worry about them getting stressed out and not calling and reaching out," said Chris Miles, peer recovery coach at Greater Cincinnati Behavioral Health Services, "I worry about their safety.”

Changes in care can cause anxiety and stress, which can be a trigger for some addicts.

“When we ask people to stay at home, that is a dangerous and potentially very risky situation for them,” said Alicia Fine, vice president of employment and recovery at the Greater Cincinnati Behavioral Health Services.

Addiction recovery is already an uphill battle, but without group therapy sessions or meetings like Alcoholics Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous -- there's a greater risk of relapse.

“When you’re here 3 times a week, 3 hours each day, when you go down to individual sessions through telehealth -- when we take that away, that group dynamic, that support, that’s been significant and really hard for our clients,” Fine said.

To fill that void, Alicia Fine with the Greater Cincinnati Behavioral Health Services says her team is conducting more one on one sessions over the phone or via video chat.

“We are proactively reaching out to every single client that’s open to our services," Fine said. "Our counselors are pursuing people.”

Peer recovery coach Chris Miles has been sober for almost 4 years -- she said her phone has been ringing around the clock.

“I get calls from clients at 11 at night asking, where can I find a meeting," Miles said. "The anxiety is very real. It's real for all of us in recovery.”

Miles said more virtual AA and NA meetings are taking place on video chat platforms like Zoom.

And according to Miles, within the last couple days, more virtual AA and Narcotics Anonymous meetings are taking place on video chat platforms like Zoom. But for recovering addicts who don’t have a phone or computer, there are some solutions in the works

“Those are some barriers that we’re still trying to break down," Fine said. "We’re giving thought to, maybe we need to give people disposable phones to make sure we can reach them during this time period.”

The Greater Cincinnati Behavioral Health Services are keeping their doors open to anyone looking to begin treatment.

“We have had to make adjustments to the way we’re doing things right now," Miles said. "But we are not going anywhere, we’re still going to be here.”

If you or someone you know needs treatment, call the Center for Addiction Treatment at 513-381-6672.

Here are more virtual services for people in recovery:

Numbers you can call for support:

• Greater Cincinnati Area Hope Line: 513-820-2947
• Northern Kentucky Hope Line: 859-429-1783
• Indiana Addiction Hotline: 1-800-662-HELP (4357)