Corona will spread more rapidly. During
the first wave in the country, Corona home isolation was kept for 14 days. Then
two negative corona tests were necessary before the home isolation ended. After
this, the period of home isolation was kept for 14 days, but the mandatory test
was done away with. During the second wave in April 2021, the home isolation
period was reduced from 14 days to 10 days in the guidelines. Along with this,
the imperative of testing also ended before the end of the isolation.
Now, in the new guideline that came on
05 January 2022, the Ministry of Health has reduced the home isolation period
from 10 days to 7 days for asymptomatic and mild symptoms of the corona. Also, it is not
necessary to get testing done before the end of home isolation after 7 days.
Only if there is no fever for three consecutive days in isolation, home
isolation will be considered over after 7 days.
Earlier America had reduced the isolation period: On 23 December
itself, the US had reduced the period of home isolation for corona infected
health care workers from 10 days to 7 days. On 27 December 2021, the US also
reduced the period of isolation for ordinary citizens from 10 days to 5 days.
The US National Public Health Agency Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
(CDC) has not recommended corona testing to be done before the end of the
isolation period. After America, Britain also reduced the home isolation for
corona infected from 10 to 7 days. While Israel has abolished the isolation requirement
for vaccinated people.
After the reduction in
isolation periods by America, Britain, and Israel, the Union Health Ministry of
the country also issued a home isolation guideline for Kovid-19 infected on 05
January 2021. Now the isolation period has been reduced from 10 days to 7 days
for asymptomatic and mild symptoms. The isolation period in the country during the
first wave was 14 days. If there is no fever
for three consecutive days, at least 7 days after being found corona positive
without testing, home isolation will be considered over. There is no need for
testing and isolation of asymptomatic people who came in contact with the
infected person.
The Ministry of
Health did not tell the scientific reason for reducing the isolation period. The
Ministry of Health has not given any specific reason for reducing the corona
isolation period. It is believed that India has also reduced the isolation
period with the help of countries like America, Britain. On reducing the
isolation period, the Ministry of Health has definitely said that in the last
two years, it has been seen in the world and also in India than in most cases, Covid-19 is either asymptomatic or has very mild symptoms.
The end of the home isolation period
without testing has been criticized by many experts and said that this will put
the corona at risk of spreading more rapidly. According to the New York Times
report, there has been a lot of opposition to this move in America and experts
say that this move is more related to the economy than science.
Let us know why it
is dangerous to end isolation without testing? What the experts are saying is-
1. The
transmission of the virus will be faster. "The result will be that at
least some people will come out of isolation sooner, so there will be more
chances of transmission and in fact, COVID-19 will spread faster." There is
little chance of people taking measures like applying masks after leaving
isolation.
2. According to Dr. Megan
Rennie, Academic Dean and Emergency Physician, Brown University School of
Public Health, USA “This guidance is more confusing than it could be or should
be. It should be for people who are not symptomatic, if you have symptoms, you
should not go out in public
3. According to a study led by epidemiologist Dennis Nash of the City University of New York in the US, only 29% of people were isolated during a previous infection. He said that it is not clear whether by reducing the isolation period; more people will be ready to be isolated.
4. "Not
testing after five days of isolation - is it because there is no supply of
testing kits? If that's the case, that's no reason to make a policy."
-Dannis Nash, Epidemiologist in America
What are Indian experts saying? Indian
experts have also expressed the risk of spreading the corona more rapidly
without testing after 7 days, considering the isolation period to be over, and
said that the isolation period should be at least 14 days. Some experts believe
that early termination of the isolation period without testing could lead to further spread of the Omicron variant. According to an expert, "How can a patient be removed from the isolation ward without a negative test? The patient can spread the virus to others as well." He also said that many times there have been complaints of not following self-isolation rules. In such a situation, even if the patient is asymptomatic, he should remain in isolation for 14 days.
According to experts "The risk of spreading the virus is not zero, but it is definitely less. Even after isolation, a person can be found corona positive for 90 days, because some viruses may be present in his body, but the number of viruses is not enough to infect others. Therefore, the risk of infecting others remains low but does not end.
Some experts believe, “Omicron symptoms come in 2-3 days and the virus starts killing in 3-4 days. Whereas in Delta and other variants, it took 4-5 days for symptoms to appear and more time for their elimination. This may be the reason to reduce the isolation period to 7 days.
To prevent the spread of infection, it is necessary to wear a mask even after the end of the isolation period, and follow the Covid protocol."
Stay healthy, stay safe...
