How long have we been infecting with Omikron? Should the isolation period be shorter?

The growing number of coronavirus infections around the world has led some countries to shorten the isolation period for people with COVID-19. Does this mean that we get rid of the new variant of the SARS-CoV-2 virus faster than its previous variants? How long can we infect while being an Omicron carrier?

1. The World Health Organization recommends a 19-day isolation period for people with COVID-10
2. In the UK and the US, it has recently been reduced to seven and five days, consecutively
3. According to experts, the argument for this is not only the concern about the availability of employees that are key to the functioning of society, but also science
4. Research shows that the highest transmission of SARS-CoV-2 occurs at an early stage of the disease, therefore a patient who does not feel symptoms may break the isolation faster
5. More information can be found on the Onet homepage

Illness records in the world

1,9 million – this is how many coronavirus infections were recorded yesterday around the world. This is a pandemic record, largely overlapped by the coexistence of two SARS-CoV-2 variants: Delta and Omicron in many regions of the globe. The situation is bad, for example, in the United States, where on December 30 there were over 522 thousand. new COVID-19 cases. In Great Britain it is 188, in France 206, in Spain 161, and in Italy 127.

1. See also: Delmikron – what are the risks of connecting Delta and Omicron?

The epidemic situation in Poland does not look too good either. Although there are fewer infections than in neighboring countries, in December they still remain at the level of several thousand cases a day. Above all, the high number of deaths, reaching the level of 700-800 each day, is worrying.

No wonder that in the face of such statistics, many countries are looking for ideas on how to prevent the spread of the coronavirus without affecting the functioning of the state. Hard lockdown is an unrealistic scenario today. Few countries can afford far-reaching restrictions that could shake the economy once again, which has been weakened by previous waves of restrictions. Politicians and experts see a rescue in changing the rules of isolation and quarantine of people with COVID-19.

1. Also read: Highest number of infections in the world since the start of the pandemic. Guilty Omikron?

Shorter isolation is a salvation for the economy

Such a solution has already been implemented, among others in the US and the British Isles. People infected in these countries can reduce self-isolation as long as they do not experience symptoms of the disease. In the United States, they can complete isolation in as little as five days, as long as they wear a mask for the next five days whenever they come into contact with others. In the UK, on ​​the other hand, this period is seven days, as long as the infected person performs the antigen test twice and the result is negative each time.

1. Also read: Home tests for COVID-19 break records of popularity

Why have these countries deviated from the WHO’s 10-day isolation for COVID-19 patients? The reason is the concern about the availability of employees of key importance for the functioning of the economy, especially medical personnel. Politicians fear that the highly infectious variant of Omikron will keep many workers at home, and this will lead to the collapse of healthcare in the country.

“If you are an infected but asymptomatic person, we want you to go back to work, especially when you perform tasks that help keep our society running smoothly,” said Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the US National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease.

Omicron fires faster than previous variants?

As the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) explains, the decision to shorten the isolation period was “motivated by science because it has been shown that the highest transmission of SARS-CoV-2 occurs early in the disease, usually within 1-2 days before the onset of symptoms and 2-3 days later ».

The incubation period of the Omicron, which in the US coexists with Delta and currently accounts for 15,9 percent of the total, was also not without significance. infections (15 detected cases). According to the latest research, it is only three days. This is much shorter than in the previous variants, where the symptoms of infection had to wait for an average of four (Delta), five (Alpha) or even six days (the initial SARS-CoV-037 strain from Wuhan).

1. See also: When do people with COVID-19 become the most contagious? “Peak infectivity” established

Experts: “the changes to the guidelines are unjustified”

However, experts are skeptical in the face of new recommendations in some countries.

“There is growing evidence that people who are vaccinated, who pass COVID-19 asymptomatically, will no longer be infected about 5-7 days after being infected,” Brown University’s deputy dean of public health, Dr. Megan Ranney, told CNN on Tuesday.

The expert added, however, that there is no such evidence in relation to people who did not take the vaccine. – For unvaccinated individuals, the data do not confirm that they are not contagious after five days coronavirus, so I am very concerned about the new recommendations – she added, suggesting at the same time that the rules for the unvaccinated should be different. In her opinion, this may be an additional motivation to vaccinate for those still undecided.

Prof. Erin Bromage, biologist at UMass Dartmouth (Massachusett, USA). – There is absolutely no data that I am aware of to justify a change in the guidelines He said, adding that you can be positive for antigen tests up to seven or eight days after the first test, even if you don’t have symptoms.

1. Also read: Omicron develops faster than previous mutations

Is it possible to shorten isolation in Poland due to COVID-19?

Let’s remind that In Poland, isolation for people who have tested positive for the presence of coronavirus lasts 10 days. Only a doctor can release it, and the basis is an interview with the patient and tests. It is possible to shorten the isolation in the absence of symptoms, but also in the case of suspicion that the test gave a false-positive result.

The quarantine, which is currently imposed, among others, may also be shortened. on cohabitants of people with a positive COVID-19 test. The condition is to obtain a negative result in such a study.

Joanna Równiak from the Provincial Sanitary and Epidemiological Station in Olsztyn told Medonet in more detail about the principles of shortening the isolation and quarantine. You can read this article here.

This may interest you:

1. Gloomy forecasts for 2022. Up to 3 billion infections with Omikron
2. The omicron grows faster than previous mutations. What does the Nebraska case show?
3. How long have we been infected with the coronavirus? The length of isolation time varies from country to country. Why?
4. The FDA warns: Antigen tests are less likely to detect the Omikron variant

The content of the medTvoiLokony website is intended to improve, not replace, the contact between the Website User and their doctor. The website is intended for informational and educational purposes only. Before following the specialist knowledge, in particular medical advice, contained on our Website, you must consult a doctor. The Administrator does not bear any consequences resulting from the use of information contained on the Website. Do you need a medical consultation or an e-prescription? Go to halodoctor.pl, where you will get online help – quickly, safely and without leaving your home.