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Shorter isolation for those infected with coronavirus, no quarantine for contact persons, faster return of students to full-time education – these are the most important changes that await us in the near future. Health Minister Adam Niedzielski said during a press conference that the fifth wave is slowly passing and we can slowly talk about the “beginning of the end of the epidemic”.
- – The apogee of the fifth wave is behind us – announced Minister of Health Adam Niedzielski at the Wednesday press conference, adding that in February the drops in infections should be very large
- Among the most important changes is the reduction of the isolation time for COVID-19 patients from 10 to seven days. As stated by the Minister of Health, since we know that the course of Omicron infection and the time of infection is shorter, these people can return to their professional duties faster
- This idea is the aftermath of employee absenteeism that has affected thousands of jobs across the country
- Another positive information for students and teachers is the shortening of the period of remote learning, which was to apply until the end of February – they will return to school a week earlier than announced
- Contrary to earlier suggestions, it was not decided to abolish the obligation to wear protective masks in public places
- More information can be found on the Onet homepage
The Minister of Health announces the “beginning of the end of the epidemic”
– Behind us is the apogee of the fifth wave. This turning point is confirmed in every dimension, in terms of the number of new infections, tests, orders for health care for a test – said Minister of Health Adam Niedzielski at the Wednesday press conference. He added that in February the drops in infections should be very large, in the order of 20 percent. from week to week.
– I hope that in March we will be able to make bold decisions on lifting restrictions and introducing less stringent regulations, so that we can enter the normal mode of operation in spring. I am optimistic, we are dealing with the beginning of the end of the epidemic – he said.
The head of the Ministry of Health announced that the number of hospital beds available for COVID-19 patients will be reduced, the period of isolation and quarantine in the case of cohabitants of an infected person will be shortened. The change is also a faster return to classroom education of students in grades 5-8 and secondary schools.
Adam Niedzielski did not mention the lifting of the obligation to cover the nose and mouth in public places. When asked about this issue by journalists, he said it was a question of “asking” for now. – In a certain perspective, such decisions will be made. I clearly emphasized that the recommendation to wear masks in public spaces will always be formulated – he emphasized.
Shorter insulation
Not 10, but seven days will be the isolation of people with a positive PCR test result. The rules of isolation for medics and uniformed services remain unchanged. This rule will apply from February 15th.
This change is due to the fact that infection with the Omikron variant differs in course from infections with previous SARS-CoV-2 variants. Symptoms of COVID-19 appear faster (from one to three days after contact with the infected), are usually shorter, and the infectivity of the virus decreases quickly. The sick person ceases to be a threat to the environment and may return to the performance of professional duties.
This is especially important in the current situation, when we have such a large number of people in quarantine (today it is 557 319) and in isolation. There are about 50 new cases in recent days, but we know that this number is heavily underestimated due to limited testing, and the fact that Poles test themselves privately and independently, without reporting a positive result or not testing at all, despite experiencing symptoms of infection or contact with an infected person. It is estimated that daily infections can be as high as 400-500 thousand.
- Read also: I am tested positive for coronavirus – what next? [WE EXPLAIN]
If at least half of these people stay at home due to illness or with a sense of social responsibility (so as not to spread the virus), no wonder that employers sound the alarm: in their companies, offices, institutions, and institutions, there is no one to work. Today’s change is to help deal with this situation and be a response to the huge problem of employee absenteeism.
The rest of the text below the video.
Quarantine – new rules
Modifications were also introduced in the field of quarantine. The government does not plan to completely abandon it, but some adjustments have been made to its rules.
Firstly, the time spent in quarantine was made equal to the time spent in isolation in the case of co-household members. If there is a COVID-19 confirmed person in the common household, the people living with them are still quarantined, but it will no longer be 17 days (10 days of isolation + seven additional days), and the same as isolating an infected household member. The co-home quarantine will be charged at the same time as the sick person’s isolation. This change will also take effect from February 15th.
Secondly, the contact persons will no longer be quarantined. Until now, quarantine was imposed on people who had contact with the infected (a person with confirmed COVID-19) based on an epidemiological interview. From February 15th, this rule will no longer apply.
Thirdly, the quarantine on arrival has been liftedwhich was seven days. Only people who do not have a covid certificate will be quarantined.
- See also: From February 1, covid certificates are valid for a shorter period. How long is your immunization valid? [WE EXPLAIN]
Fewer covid beds in hospitals
Due to the low number of hospitalizations, compared to such high rates of new cases, the government decided to gradually reduce the number of hospital beds reserved for covid patients. There will be 25 thousand of them, i.e. over 5 thousand. less than today.
According to the Minister of Health, there is no need to reserve places in wards that, according to forecasts, will not be used, and thus deprive other patients in need of diagnostics and treatment.
– The threat to hospital infrastructure and the risk of its inefficiency is definitely decreasing – pointed out Adam Niedzielski, adding that the average hospitalization time for COVID-19 patients is currently an average of seven days.
Let us recall that according to data provided by the Ministry of Health, 18 are occupied this morning. 952 covid beds, and their base throughout Poland is 30. 882.
- Check it out: Pediatric wards full of children with COVID-19 and PIMS
Faster return to school
Education in grades 5-8 of primary school and secondary schools is currently conducted remotely. According to the rules in force so far, students were to participate in home lessons by February 27. However, they will return to schools faster – on February 21, which is a week earlier than planned.
With regard to the information provided by the Minister of Health, the head of the Ministry of Science and Education, Przemysław Czarnek, announced: – Until the end of the school year, we will be able to study normally.
Loosening of restrictions in Poland – expert’s comment
We asked Dr. Bartosz Fiałek, a rheumatologist and promoter of medical knowledge about COVID-19. According to the expert, the decision to lift restrictions in Poland is primarily based on the wrong basis. It is the extrapolation of decisions on strategies for dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic that are taken by other European countries, such as Denmark or Sweden.
Comparing Poland to the Scandinavian countries or the United Kingdom shows a complete lack of understanding of how different the epidemic situation in these countries is. There, the percentage of vaccination of the population is about 80%, and even more, for example in Spain or Portugal. We have about 57 percent. In these countries, citizens are both adequately vaccinated and responsible, respecting sanitary and epidemiological rules. In Poland, not only do part of the society refuse to vaccinate, but also ignore epidemiological restrictions. You can’t just compare a toddler to a Mercedes.
Bow. Bartosz Fiałek points out that actions taken in one country will not always work in another. – Scientific data from countries that are very different from Poland may not have any reference to us, and the decisions made there do not have to work for us. It’s like bringing a good player to a good team – he will most likely play very well there. But when we bring him to a hopeless team, he may not show all his skills – he says, adding that we do not have reliable data from any country with a similar vaccination rate and a similar “reluctance to respect sanitary and epidemiological rules” as in Poland.
- Also read: Lessons for Poland from Great Britain. The virologist criticizes the lifting of restrictions
The expert points out that today we suffer the consequences of stubbornness in terms of preventive vaccinations and non-compliance with the basic rules to limit the spread of the coronavirus.
– If we were a country with a high vaccination rate and respecting the sanitary and epidemiological rules, it would be scientifically justified to endure the restrictions after the current epidemic wave, i.e. at the earliest in February and March, and try to return to semi-normal still a lot is missing. Unfortunately, we are not. Since we didn’t want to adjust to learning, we’re just going to get worse for a long time – he says.
When asked what the Minister of Health should have been talking about at today’s press conference, the doctor pointed out two issues: preventive vaccinations and compliance with sanitary and epidemiological rules.
– Today, the minister should primarily encourage preventive vaccinations. And not in relation to the current wave, because it will soon pass and we will not be able to generate an immune response. He should encourage vaccination in the context of a possible future – to obtain protection against the next wave of infections, which will probably come after a few months. The second the reason to call for vaccination is to reduce the risk of another variant emerging. We must be aware that the more infections we note, the greater the risk of generating new mutations, and the greater the number of mutations, the greater the chance of a new variant.
- See also: Will this virus cause another pandemic? Chinese scientists are concerned
It is also very important to remind people that respecting the rules to reduce the risk of infection is crucial, especially when we have so many cases and so easily become infected with SARS-CoV-2. The doctor mentions here primarily testing and isolating ourselves when we feel bad, imposing a self-quarantine when we have contact with an infected person, wearing a protective mask when we go to the store, airing the rooms and maintaining hand hygiene. And adds:
– Talking about what will happen in a month is a complete misunderstanding of the dynamics of the COVID-19 pandemic and the evolution of the virus. How can anyone know what awaits us in a month? I would not dare to predict it even without an epidemic threat, let alone in times of a pandemic.
- Also read: Omikron and… what next? Here are four possible scenarios for the further course of the pandemic (or life after it)
Have you been infected with COVID-19 and are worried about the side effects? Check your health by performing a comprehensive test package for convalescents.
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