Although most people recover from COVID-19 within five to seven days of commencement of symptoms, the World Health Organization (WHO) nevertheless recommends 14-day quarantine, according to a WHO representative.
According to Abdi Mahamud of the WHO’s COVID-19 Incident Management Support Team, governments must decide on the length of quarantine depending on their circumstances.
He explained that in countries with low infection rates, a prolonged quarantine period could assist maintain case numbers as low as feasible. Shorter quarantines may be justifiable in places with runaway cases, he suggested, to keep governments operating.
It is conceivable to be infected with both influenza and COVID-19, according to a WHO official. There is “little risk” of the two viruses combining into a new virus because they are separate viruses that attack the body in different ways.
According to the WHO, 128 countries had reported instances of the Omicron strain as of December 29, 2021. Hospitalization and death rates have remained low in South Africa, despite a significant surge in cases followed by a very swift drop-off. However, the situation will not be the same in other countries, Mahamud said.
“While the current studies all indicate to the Omicron variation affecting the upper respiratory system rather than the lungs, which is excellent news,” he noted, “high-risk patients and those who have not been vaccinated could still become seriously ill.”
The Omicron form, according to Mahamud, might overwhelm other strains in a matter of weeks, especially in locations where there are a big number of susceptible persons – primarily those who are unvaccinated.
On January 19, the WHO’s Strategic Advisory Group of Experts on Immunization (SAGE) will convene to assess the situation. The scheduling of booster shots, vaccine mixing, and the formulation of future vaccines are all on the table for discussion.
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