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Nowa Trybuna Opolska described a short history of a man suffering from the COVID-19 disease caused by the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus. After two weeks of home isolation, the man ended quarantine, but when he was tested for the presence of the coronavirus, it turned out to be positive. The man still has to be in isolation. Fortunately, he did not infect his wife. Is a 14-day quarantine not enough? We check what scientists say about it.
Let’s start with the guidelines of the Ministry of Health regarding hospitalization of people suffering from COVID-19, who may be isolated at home due to their health condition. Patient isolation takes place for a minimum of 14 days. After 10-12 (and in the case of children 14) days from the onset of symptoms, and in the case of asymptomatic patients, 10-12 (14) days from the day of obtaining a positive SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus test, a control test is performed.
If the test result is negative, another test is performed at least 24 hours later. A double negative result means that the patient can be released from isolation, with an instruction to maintain special hand hygiene for a period of at least seven days.
If at least one of the two control tests is positive, the isolation is extended for seven days and the test is repeated. The condition for being released from insulation is two negative test results.
Find out more about home insulation: Recommendations for the management of patients infected with SARS-CoV-2 who do not require hospitalization
The vast majority of COVID-19 cases are mild. The patient develops symptoms similar to the flu or a cold. In the mild form of the disease, treatment is based on relieving symptoms. The median time from the onset of COVID-19 symptoms to clinical recovery is two weeks for people with a mild infection. This time increases as the disease progresses more severely.
“It can take up to six weeks to heal COVID-19,” Dr. Michael Ryan of the World Health Organization told CNN. People with severe lung infections that require hospitalization even recover after several months.
Scientists are still trying to find out something new about the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus. One study, published in The Lancet, found that SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus can live in the respiratory tract for up to five weeks. 19 doctors analyzed the medical records of 191 patients from hospitals in China. It was observed that the coronavirus was present in the airways of critically ill patients for an average of 19 days and in critically ill patients for an average of 24 days. Coronavirus was present in the airways of patients who died until death.
The shortest survival time in the airways of a person who survived the coronavirus was eight days, and the longest was even 37 days. This is important research that can be helpful in making decisions about patient isolation. They can also be a guide to the length of antiviral treatment.
See also: Oldest man to recover from coronavirus infection. She is 104 years old
Another study, published in the journal JAMA, shows that the coronavirus can remain in the body for up to two weeks after recovery. The study involved four doctors aged 30 to 36 who suffered from COVID-19 and were treated at the Zhongnan University Hospital in Wuhan between January 1 and February 15. All subjects recovered, and only one of them was hospitalized while ill.
Patients were considered cured after symptoms cleared and received two negative tests for the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus. After recovery, subjects were asked to undergo home quarantine for a further five days. On days 5 and 13 after recovery, throat swabs were taken from patients for coronavirus testing. Both tests were positive. The researchers wrote that these findings suggest that at least some of the people considered healthy may still be carriers of the coronavirus.
The fourteen-day isolation of a COVID-19 patient is sometimes insufficient. It can be a carrier for much longer. Therefore, to determine whether the patient has recovered, further tests for the presence of SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus are performed.
Have a question about the coronavirus? Send them to the following address: [email protected]. You will find a daily updated list of answers HERE: Coronavirus – frequently asked questions and answers
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