Europe risks facing critical labor shortages as the Omicron coronavirus variant spreads across the bloc and infected and tracked people are isolated, Politico reports.
As countries re-impose measures to curb the spread of infections, they are also reviewing isolation rules in an effort to address the risks of infection, while mitigating the effects of disruption of vital services and the impact on the economy.
–
Greece is the first country in Europe to announce the transition to the lowest ever five-day quarantine for infected people, halving the previous 10 days, the government said on Thursday. The Mediterranean is keeping pace with the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which this week also announced a new five-day period of isolation for infected asymptomatic people.
The United Kingdom switched to a seven-day period of isolation for infected people just before Christmas. Spain and Ireland have also reduced isolation periods from 10 to 7 days, and Italy has abolished quarantine for close contacts if a person is vaccinated.
Widespread vaccination has helped reduce the spread and severity of the disease. But since Omicron has proven to be even more contagious than previous versions, why are countries moving to shorter quarantine periods and will they be enough to limit the fourth wave? The answer depends on whether you have been vaccinated.
–
A recent US study analyzed how long people with coronavirus are contagious and found that among vaccinated people, the average time it takes to clear an infection is 5.5 days, while among unvaccinated people it is 7.5 days. However, the unreviewed study examined the infectivity of the Alpha and Delta variants in question and was conducted before Omicron became dominant.
In the United States, the CDC also said the move to a five-day period was “motivated by science.” They cited data showing that most coronavirus transmission occurs in the first two days before symptoms and up to three days after.
The five plus five rule
Greece has adopted the American recommendations for release from quarantine – in people without symptoms, isolation is 5 days, followed by 5 days of wearing a mask.
The UK has opted for conditional release from quarantine on the seventh day only if people have a negative test on the sixth and seventh day.
Meanwhile, some countries, such as Britain and Italy, have abandoned quarantine altogether, switching instead to different testing and isolation requirements only if people have tested positive.
Why do countries do this?
The sheer number of infected people and the virulence of Omicron are making a big difference in the game.
In the UK, which has registered more than 100,000 cases a day since December 22, reaching more than 189,846 on Friday, commuter trains in London have been canceled due to staffing due to COVID-19, while hospitals are under tremendous pressure from labor shortages and the growing number of patients with COVID-19.
There were 24,632 hospital staff in England on 26 December who were absent due to illness or self-isolation due to COVID-19, according to NHS England data released on Friday.
In Greece, the health ministry said that when Omicron arrived, hospitals were already overcrowded with Delta cases. The country is currently facing a record number of cases, with the predominant type of virus being Omicron, which accounts for more than 60% of cases.
Meanwhile, the head of the US Centers for Disease Control, Rochelle Valensky, acknowledged that the agency’s decision to change the recommended period of isolation “is really related to what we think people will be able to endure.” She told local media that less than a third of people had followed the isolation guidelines throughout the pandemic.
– .
