WHO sees shortening of the corona quarantine as a “compromise”
Geneva – The World Health Organization (WHO) has shown understanding for the shortening of the corona quarantine by some countries. The reduction of the quarantine duration is a “compromise” between the control of the infection process and economic considerations, said the WHO emergency adviser Michael Ryan on Wednesday in Geneva.
“If you cut the quarantine time, there WILL be a small number of cases where people will become ill and the virus may have been transmitted because they were released from quarantine earlier,” Ryan said. However, this will only make up “a relatively small number”, he emphasized.
Consequently, a shortening is a compromise between science and the attempt to achieve as little damage to the economy and society as possible. “Governments are working their way to find that balance.”
Three countries shorten the isolation period for corona-positives
So far, three states have shortened the isolation period for those who tested positive for the coronavirus. On Wednesday, the Spanish government announced that it would reduce the quarantine for infected people from ten to seven days. The USA had previously halved the quarantine time for symptom-free infected people from ten to five days.
Argentina joined in on Wednesday, announcing a full reduction in the quarantine of vaccinated infected people from ten to seven days. Vaccinated people who have had contact with an infected person but show no symptoms when, according to Health Minister Carla Vizzotti, only isolate themselves for five days.
In its guidelines, the WHO recommends quarantining those who are symptomatically infected for ten days after the onset of symptoms, plus at least three further symptom-free days. For infected people without symptoms, the WHO recommends an isolation period of ten days after the positive test.