Isolation by COVID-19 goes from 10 days to 7 days
After some debate on the subject, the General Directorate of Health announced this Thursday, the reduction of isolation of asymptomatic COVID-19 positive cases and high-risk contacts from 10 days to seven days.
This new measure takes effect as early as next week.
COVID-19: Omicron variant has shorter incubation time
The decision, announced today, comes a day after the Autonomous Region of Madeira reduced to five days the period of isolation of asymptomatic infected individuals and of those who had contact with positive cases, even ending the quarantine of contacts vaccinated with the third dose.
According to the statement from the DGS ...
This decision is in line with guidelines from other countries and is the result of a technical and thoughtful reflection, given the incubation period of the now predominant variant, the omicron
It should be noted that relevant studies indicate that the new omicron variant has a shorter incubation time (about three days) and that the duration of the disease is also shorter.
Until now, "the end of prophylactic isolation corresponds to the 14th day after the date of the last high-risk exposure to the confirmed case", but for asymptomatic high-risk contacts, the isolation ends if it turns off a negative result in a test performed on the 10th .th day.
The United States also reduced the isolation, but to five days. England and Spain shortened the periods to seven days, as did Portugal.