Dealing with an expert.
July 4 2020
Coronavirus on July 2 in Russia was found in 661 426 people, cites data … Of these, 430 people have recovered and were discharged from hospitals today. Should they continue to wear personal protective equipment once the illness is over? Wday.ru asked a specialist about this.
Virologist, Doctor of Medical Sciences, Professor, Chief Researcher of the N. Gamaleya Research Center for Epidemiology and Microbiology
– To the question of whether it is necessary to wear a mask and gloves if a person has had a coronavirus, it is now impossible to answer unequivocally. I would like to give a clear answer, but it will not be as reliable as possible. A person who has had a covid infection should take the same precautions as someone who has not had it. We do not know the degree of immunity of this person, whether he can get sick again, whether he secretes this virus or not, and if he does, then for how long. So he needs to behave in the same way as he did before his illness.
Depending on how much time has passed since the onset of a person’s illness, the degree of his danger to others is determined. It is believed that within 2 to 3 weeks the virus can still be shed. But just in case, I would think that it can stand out longer. Even if the tests are negative, you still need to consider him suspicious for a while.
We still have inaccurate tests for coronavirus and antibodies to it. The nature of these antibodies is not yet clear to us. Tests are made for any antibodies to coronavirus. A positive result with a fairly high probability shows that a person has encountered this virus. But it does not follow from this that he has developed immunity and that he can safely walk. He can become infected again and infect others.
In addition, even those who have been ill should continue to comply with the requirements and recommendations of the authorities: wear masks and gloves in transport, shops and other public places.