The World Health Organization (WHO) insists that quarantines for COVID-19 cases must be 14 days. However, in Argentina the Federal Health Council (Cofesa) decided to reduce the terms. They are five days of isolation for close contacts vaccinated with a complete scheme; and seven for infected with at least the first dose of the injection. All this within the framework of the omicron expansion.
On Wednesday 95,151 infections were reported in Argentina, an absolute record. And it was known that the omicron variant displaced the delta as the predominant one in the province of Buenos Aires.
Omicron symptoms
“This variant substantially shortened both the incubation period and the period of status, that is, the time that the symptoms lasted. In general, omicron cases are mild and have incubation periods of three to five days. Symptoms lasts a maximum of one week ”. This was explained by Angela Gentile, head of Epidemiology at the Ricardo Gutiérrez Children’s Hospital and advisor to the government of Buenos Aires.
Ricardo Teijeiro, member of the Argentine Society of Infectious Diseases (SADI), added: “Most of the cases that we are seeing are of mild or asymptomatic symptoms. Symptoms last three to five days, no longer than that. If more than a week goes by, it is considered that the symptoms persist ”.
Long Covid
Long-term persistent covid is defined by the WHO as the condition that occurs in people with a history of the virus who have symptoms that last at least two months; and they cannot be explained by an alternative diagnosis.
“The long coronavirus is much more characterized in the adult population. The most common symptoms in these cases are cognitive disorders; arrhythmias; and disorders of respiratory types with pictures of decreased lung sufficiency ”. So Gentile explained it.
In addition, he indicated that follow-up is important. For this reason, all the hospitals and health institutions in that country already have areas for these cases.
“We are not seeing the aggressions produced by the other variants, when there were people for whom, having had complications, the symptoms lasted three months. Today we are not seeing much disease or many complications, “said Teijeiro.
The head of Epidemiology of Gutiérrez insisted that this situation occurs in older people.
“In the hospital we have an outpatient area specifically for the follow-up of patients with covid and the maturational development is closely monitored. But so far we do not have concrete data on the appearance of persistent covid in pediatrics in Argentina ”.
In addition, Gentile said that, to know the duration and complete recovery of these sequelae, we must wait for more data and evidence since each variant behaves differently.
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