Covid-19: Isolation period is reduced to seven days

The General Directorate of Health has today updated the rules for the isolation period for asymptomatic people and those with ‘mild symptoms’ of Covid-19, reducing the previously necessary 10 day isolation period to only 7 days.

From this Wednesday, January 5th, according to the official doument of the Directorate-General for Health (DGS), the isolation regulations are as follows.

People who have no symptoms at the time of diagnosis, as well as those with mild symptoms, are on self-surveillance, monitoring symptoms, and that these people do not need to test on the
seventh day to get out of isolation.

In the case of patients with moderate or severe symptoms, they should contact the SNS 24 (808 24 24 24), their GP or call 112.  For these people, isolation time remains for at least ten days, but there is no need to test on the
tenth day to get out of isolation.

The standards updated by the DGS also reduce the isolation of high-risk contacts to seven days, but change the definitions of these contacts, which only takes effect next Monday. These new definitions mean cohabitants of the confirmed case are considered to be high-risk contacts, unless they have a complete vaccination schedule with a booster dose, or who live or work in homes or are carers dedicated to elderly people, therapeutic and social inclusion communities, as well as in temporary shelters, emergency accommodation and in the long-term care network.

The DGS defined that asymptomatic people and those with mild symptoms are on self-monitoring and do not need to be tested on the seventh day to get out of isolation. The isolation period is considered fully completed for people with confirmed infection, asymptomatic or with mild symptoms, that have completed seven days or more of isolation.

According to the norms, the isolation period will remain at 10 days for those who develop moderate disease and 20 days for those who develop severe disease and for those who have immunosuppression problems.

All people who, regardless of vaccination status, present with signs of acute respiratory infection with new cough or worsening of the usual cough, fever or respiratory difficulty and/or disturbances in smell or reduction or loss of taste should contact the NHS24.

People who have mild symptoms, such as fever for a period of less than 3 days and/or cough, absence of breathing difficulties, vomiting or diarrhea should isolate at home, as long as they do not have any chronic diseases or conditions that could be worsened substantially by Covid-19.

Only patients with moderate symptoms such as persistent fever, wheezing or persistent cough, with obesity or chronic disease, will be referred for on-site clinical evaluation.

For those who have symptoms such as persistent fever for more than 48 hours, dyspnea or signs of respiratory distress, persistent vomiting or diarrhea or a chronic disease/illness, they will be referred for on-site clinical evaluation in dedicated areas of the hospital emergency services.

Symptomatic people with suspected SARS-CoV-2 infection, after testing for SARS-CoV-2 with a negative result (TAAN or TRAg) are no longer in isolation, unless they are a high-risk contact of a confirmed case. High-risk contacts should carry out laboratory tests for SARS-CoV-2 (TAAN or TRAg) as early as possible up to the 3rd day and a second test on the 7th day, which will confirm the end of the period of isolation.