We will answer that question from Nita, Elly and Monique today in the 27th edition of the corona update.
People who have a cold or other mild complaints have already been asked to stay at home. This was tightened on Monday. If someone in the family has a fever, the whole family should stay at home. For example, the risk of spreading the coronavirus should be reduced.
Exceptions
However, there is an exception for people in so-called vital professions, such as in the care or fire department. “If they would also stay at home if a family member has a fever, there are simply too few hands on the bed or to fight a fire,” says the RIVM.
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In addition, a family member with a fever may not necessarily have the coronavirus. And if he does have the virus, it does not have to have infected others in the family.
According to the RIVM, a choice has to be made. “The bar is a little higher for, for example, healthcare personnel. Only the worse the complaints are with them, the more likely they are infected. And then it is about stuffiness, fever or otherwise.”
No symptoms
So if a family member has a fever, but the family member with a vital profession does not have symptoms that indicate the virus, then that is not enough reason to stay at home. “We cannot miss people with vital professions.”
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And yet, according to the RIVM, it is very important that people without a vital profession stay at home if a family member has a fever. “That may sound contradictory, but it is about flatting the curve“said a spokesman for RIVM. The spread of the virus must be slowed down in order to keep care manageable.
Testing as a solution?
Of course, the risk of exception for people in vital professions is not entirely without risk. A solution might be to test a family member with a fever for the coronavirus. Then the person in the family with the vital occupation would also know whether there is a risk of infection.
But that is not possible, says the RIVM. There are too few liquids available for these tests. “We really can only test the people we suspect to have the coronavirus.”
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:quality(80)/cdn-kiosk-api.telegraaf.nl/ded9001c-6fac-11ea-b8ac-02d1dbdc35d1.jpg "Cured from coronavirus Gaviria leaves hospital after month | Cycling")
