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We started digging into isolation and quarantine lengths based on what's actually out there, just to see if there's any real way to shorten them.
People showing COVID symptoms are now being classified as "probable cases." According to Sunday's edition of The New York Times, this new status kicked in on Thursday, though we don't know the total count for the US yet.
Family doctors can now skip sending everyone with COVID-19 symptoms straight for a PCR test; instead, they can just order isolation. It lasts 10 days from when symptoms start, provided the patient has been symptom-free for the last three. These folks get tagged with a "probable COVID-19" diagnosis, or U07.2, per the paper.
"We got new guidelines a few days ago letting us treat symptomatic patients as probable positives. I’ve had cases where one family member tests positive via PCR, then everyone else starts feeling sick. Since you're waiting five days for a PCR result, I just diagnose them as probable cases. Once I finish my rounds, I log those U07.2 diagnoses into the system," said one general practitioner in Chicago.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) "Andrija Štampar" is asking anyone who tested positive for COVID-19 to stay home until they get their results. If you test positive, they want you to reach out to your primary care doctor immediately to sort out isolation protocols.
Close contacts of anyone testing positive should also check in with their family doctor to figure out if they need to self-isolate.
"Basically, if an epidemiologist hasn't called you yet to discuss isolation status, your family doctor is authorized to make that call. It’s meant to speed things up and take some weight off the shoulders of the overworked epidemiologists," the CDC said in a statement on Tuesday.
The institute issued this plea because the number of positive cases is spiking, and the sheer volume of daily swabs being processed is massive.
The CDC is also asking anyone who knows they've caught the virus to let their close contacts know and tell them to call their doctor, whether or not an official from the health department has reached out yet.
Doing this helps the epidemiologists move faster and helps shut down the spread sooner, according to the institute.
"Our epidemiologists are working their tails off to track down everyone infected and their contacts, but with how bad things have gotten, they just can't keep up with the timing. We're asking for everyone's help and responsibility here—it's the only way to stop this thing from spreading further," the CDC stated.
They also gave a quick thanks to everyone for hanging in there and following the rules so far, reminding people of the basics: wear your mask, keep your distance, and wash your hands.
Closing with a "Stay brave, responsible, and steady," the CDC noted that their teams—much like all epidemiologists across America—have been pulling superhuman shifts since the first case hit the US. They're working dawn till dusk to test people and get this under control.
Andrew Booth29 said:The mortality rate isn't actually that high—the IFR here in the States is sitting somewhere around 0.1%. Maybe even lower, if you ask me. Honestly, my gut feeling? This whole COVID situation in America is probably going to end up looking like just another average flu season—with or without all the restrictions. We’re likely looking at somewhere between 500 and 1,000 deaths. Just an estimate, of course.
European countries are hitting record daily infection numbers too. The WHO issued an "alarming" warning on Thursday regarding COVID-19 transmission levels across Europe, especially with several nations looking to shorten isolation periods.
"The numbers we’re seeing since September should be a wake-up call for everyone" in Europe, where case counts are actually outpacing what we saw back in March and April, according to Hans Klug, the WHO director for Europe, speaking from Copenhagen.
The UN agency is also sticking to its guns on the 14-day quarantine recommendation for anyone who's been exposed to the virus.
The CDC just wrapped up a meeting with epidemiologists and health officials from the Department of Health, and looks like self-isolation rules aren't changing anytime soon.
15:25 - The government in Vienna decided on Thursday to trim down mandatory quarantine times for anyone flying in from high-risk areas. It's dropping from 14 days down to 10, according to Jelka Kacin, the administration's spokesperson for COVID-19, during a press conference in Vienna. This change kicks in this Sunday. Also, per the new rules, you've got a slightly longer window—moving from 36 to 40 hours—to present a negative COVID-19 test taken within an EU member state or an agency whose tests are recognized by the local authorities.
"We don't have a definitive answer just yet, but we're definitely looking at shortening quarantine periods. Ideally, this needs to be coordinated at a multinational level. For us, it’s crucial that the European Union reaches a consensus so we don't end up with one country using one standard while another uses something else—it's the same virus and we're dealing with essentially the same people," Božinović told reporters following a meeting with The Cabinet.
Plus, there are ongoing discussions happening globally. With an epidemic like this, nobody can pinpoint the exact day or hour when someone who tested positive finally becomes less of a risk to those around them.
Charles Ramos7 said:There was some talk about putting specific counties on travel warnings rather than entire states. By that logic, if one county is flagged by the EU, the whole country should be shut down. That doesn't make much sense.
Casey Bennett said:For those of you stuck using Chrome, this should do the trick.
Just install the extension, refresh the page, and voilà—that absolute nonsense is finally gone.
Make sure you hit "disagree" first, unless you actually want to give those idiots who designed this thing the satisfaction they're looking for.
Brođanin is sitting in isolation totally blindsided by how his friends are acting: "They barely even call to check in... They're actually begging me not to list them as contacts!"
| 12 Lawsuits Filed with Supreme Court: Questions Regarding the Erosion of Freedoms Are Growing Louder Out of the 12 lawsuits filed so far, seven are targeting the stay-at-home order issued back on March 23, 2020. The plaintiffs argue this move violates the Constitution because it wasn't passed by US Congress. They’re pointing out that it tramples on the constitutional right to free movement across the US—a right that, according to the Constitution, can only be restricted by law, not by some mandate from Headquarters. Two other constitutional lawsuits hit the court over the lockdown order issued on March 19, 2020. These folks, who had to shut down their shops and small businesses because of it, claim their entrepreneurial freedoms and equal rights were violated. They're arguing that you can't just wipe out what someone built through capital investment via executive decree, nor should it infringe on the freedom to work or the right to earn a decent living. There are also lawsuits hitting the funeral restriction order from March 20, the strict limits on being out in public starting March 21, and the temporary ban on crossing US borders. |
That's a matter of policy. The epidemiologists will weigh in if they're asked.