General > Covid 19/Monkeypox: Facts, News, Support from Friends
Coronavirus: OFFICIAL Updates/ Health Info/Travel Info
theschnauzers:
A significant development in the handling of isolation and quarantine time periods for asymptomatic people with positive test results or who were exposed to people with positive tests:
http://hill.cm/N2s1IJV
--- Quote --- The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is cutting its recommended isolation time for people infected with COVID-19 from 10 to five days, as long as they are asymptomatic.
The agency on Monday said that change applies to everyone, regardless of vaccination status and that after the five days is up, people should wear a mask around other people at all times for another five days.
Additionally, CDC said it was shortening the recommended quarantine to five days for people who are unvaccinated or vaccinated but not boosted if they are exposed.
For people who are vaccinated and boosted, CDC said there's no need to quarantine.
Isolation is the recommended course of action when someone tests positive for COVID-19, while quarantine is suggested for a healthy person with an exposure to someone who tested positive.
CDC said the change was driven by science showing that the majority of virus transmission occurs early in the course of illness, generally in the first two days prior to onset of symptoms and the two to three days after.
"CDC's updated recommendations for isolation and quarantine balance what we know about the spread of the virus and the protection provided by vaccination and booster doses. These updates ensure people can safely continue their daily lives," CDC Director Rochelle Walensky said in a statement.
For anyone exposed to the virus, CDC said best practice would also include a coronavirus test five days after exposure. If symptoms occur, individuals should immediately quarantine until a negative test confirms symptoms are not attributable to COVID-19.
"This is a great example of following the science," said Megan Ranney, an emergency physician and a dean at the Brown University School of Public Health. "We don't need to continue to do things the same way, just because they've always been done that way. We should follow what we're learning about the virus."
But Ranney said she was concerned that people wouldn't wear masks after the five days in isolation or quarantine, particularly people who are not vaccinated.
She also said she wasn't sure why CDC would apply the same isolation standard to everyone regardless of vaccination status, since studies show the period of infectiousness is shorter for people who have been vaccinated.
Monday's announcement follows the agency's move last week to change guidelines to allow health care workers to reduce their time in isolation from 10 days to seven, or even five in times of a staffing crisis.
As the omicron variant stretches many hospitals and health workers to near breaking, federal officials said they want to make sure there are enough staff when there's a COVID-19 outbreak.
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The changes announced on Monday extend the guidance to the general public.
"If it's good enough for health care workers, it should be good enough for everyone," Ranney said. "If the rules truly are that if you are asymptomatic, you can shorten your isolation, that's fair. And that's backed up by the science."
--- End quote ---
Alenaveda:
--- Quote from: Alenaveda on December 23, 2021, 07:18:30 AM ---Update from Argentina:
The number of cases have suddenly increased in the last week in similar levels to those we had during the second wave.
--- End quote ---
The authorities have stated that we're in the middle of the third wave of cases, and both Delta and Omicron variants are circulating in the country. However, and despite the high number of positive cases detected in the last week the occupation in the Intensive Care units in the whole country remains around the 35 % only and the number of daily deaths until now are less than 50.
Alenaveda:
New restrictions for the foreigner visitors have been announced to enter the country on December 30th:
Negative PCR made within the 72 hours before to the beginning of the travel.
Also an affidavit provided by Migrations where it must be certificated that there's no observations from the traveler's medical authorities. This includes a medical discharge if the person has suffered the infection during the previous 90 days of entering the country - including the corresponding positive PCR -.
Certificate proving that the person have complete the full vaccination scheme according to the respective country's directives.
A COVID-19 health insurance covering hospitalization, isolation and / or medical transfer services, for those who are positive cases, suspects or close contacts.
Alenaveda:
Update from Argentina:
It's been a long time reporting, sorry.
The third wave hit us really hard, specially in the first three weeks of January with number of cases counted over one hundred thousand every day. Also the number of deaths is still in similar numbers to the second wave. Only good thing was that the ICU occupation in the whole country has barely passed the 50 %, what is seen as a effect of the vaccination program mostly. Omicron has becoming the dominant variant during the wave with a small part of Delta variant cases still detected.
A decrease in the number of cases almost to the half of the numbers of January has been reposted in the last ten days.
theschnauzers:
A pre-print study from Japan suggests that the recently identified BA.2 sub varian of the Covid-19 omicron variant may be far more serious and even more transmissible, and highly mutated compared to the original Covid-19 coronavirus. Tests and treatments may not work, and new vaccine boosters may be necessary.
https://www.cnn.com/2022/02/17/health/ba-2-covid-severity/index.html
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