Unfortunately, the COVID-19 pandemic has made the concepts of quarantine and isolation part of our lives. But there is still confusion about the differences between terms.
Currently, with the pandemic situation, it is necessary to act responsibly and know how to proceed correctly in each circumstance . Thus, depending on whether we are positive or not, we must isolate ourselves in the first case or quarantine if we have not yet confirmed the test result. In the same way, other variables also influence, such as having the complete vaccination schedule, not having symptoms or having had the disease in the last 3 months.
In this way, the two procedures are intended to separate the possible positives and the subjects who already have the disease so that the virus does not continue to spread, but they do have some differences. As we have mentioned, the isolation is carried out by positive subjects for a minimum period of 10 days; instead, quarantine is done by individuals without confirmed results, who have symptoms or who are not vaccinated, staying at home for 14 days and monitoring their status.
In this article, we present the main differences between quarantine and isolation so that you know when you should carry out each process and how you should proceed in each one, how many days it will last or what security measures you should have.
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Quarantine vs isolation: how are they different?
We know that the virus that causes Covid 19 spreads very quickly and easily . For this reason, if there is suspicion of illness, such as by contact with a positive person in Covid 19 or it has been confirmed that they have the disease, it will be necessary for the person to separate from the rest of the population, whether they are strangers or relatives. .
With the purpose of separating the individual, there are two possibilities that have the same purpose of keeping the subject distant but the reason and procedure is different, these are quarantine and isolation. In this way, we must not confuse the terms since they cannot be used as synonyms and it will be essential that we know what each one consists of and when to carry them out in order to act correctly and not put our environment or ourselves at risk.
To make it easier for you to distinguish one from the other, below we will quote you and explain the main differences between quarantining and isolating yourself.
1. To which subjects is each procedure directed?
An important difference between the two terms consists in knowing who they are aimed at, so, in the case of quarantine, the subjects who must carry it out are those who show the greatest possibility of contagion , either because they have been in some location or place. with many positive cases or because they have been in contact with a subject who has the disease, but in any case he, the person doing the quarantine, still has no symptoms and is not positive for Covid 19.
When will we consider that we have had close contact with a subject with coronavirus? The Spanish Ministry of Health defines close contact when health personnel, family members or other people have cared for an individual with Covid without respecting the appropriate protection measures. Likewise, in general terms, we will speak of close contact if we have been in the same place less than 2 meters away, for more than 15 minutes and without wearing a mask.
On the contrary, individuals who are sick or have tested positive for Covid 19 will isolate themselves, that is, in this case it is certain that the subject has the virus.
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2. What is the purpose of the procedure?
Thus, we already know that in both cases the main purpose is to reduce the transmission or contagion of the disease, but each procedure shows some nuance.
In the case of quarantine, as we have said, it is aimed at people who have a higher risk of presenting the disease, that is, they have a greater possibility than the general population of having Covid 19, but there is no certainty about it because it does not show symptoms nor has he tested positive. For this reason, the objective of the quarantine is to separate it to control and see how the individual evolves , if it finally feels bad and thus prevent it from infecting others if it is positive.
On the other hand, the objective of isolation, as is obvious, will also be to reduce contagion since we know for sure that it is positive, but it will serve to keep people who already have the disease apart, although their symptoms are not so serious as to be hospitalized, in this way they will stay at home to monitor how their condition evolves and if it gets worse seek medical help.
3. When will you not need to perform the procedure?
At this point we will refer to whether there is any reason that does not require isolation or quarantine. In the first case, isolation, it is easy to know, since as the subject has the disease, it will always be mandatory to carry it out and in no circumstance will he be released.
In contrast, in the case of quarantine, there are exceptions that will mean that the individual does not need to stay at home , in the event that he has the complete vaccination schedule, that is, he has received all the required doses and does not present any symptom. In the same way, it will not be necessary for people who have tested positive in the last 3 months to quarantine, as long as they do not show symptoms and are well.
4. How long does each process take?
Since the reason and individuals to which each process is directed varies, the time that each of them will require will also be different. In this way, in the case of quarantine where the subject, as we have already pointed out, is not aware that he has the disease, if he has the entire guideline it will not be necessary for him to quarantine if he does not have any type of discomfort, he will have to wait between 3 to 5 days to be tested whether or not you have symptoms and will require you to wear the mask in closed public places for 14 days after having contact or exposure to the virus or until the test is carried out and it is negative.
In case of being exposed to the virus and not having the complete vaccine schedule, it will be mandatory to quarantine and stay at home for 14 days after contact with the non-Covid 19 person. In this process, you should monitor if you develop symptoms, controlling that his temperature does not reach 38 ºC, as well as if he has a lot of cough or it is difficult for him to breathe. If he finally tests positive, it will be necessary to carry out the other process and isolate himself.
In reference to isolation, if the individual shows discomfort, they should stay at home for at least 10 days , counting as the first the day the symptoms began, be at least 24 hours without fever and without having taken any drug to reduce it and that the symptoms that it had been upgraded. If you have tested positive but you are not feeling unwell, it will be essential that you isolate yourself at home for at least 10 days, counting the first at the time they confirm that you are positive and in the event that you end up presenting symptoms, you must carry out the already mentioned process, when you have the disease and discomfort.
5. How to act at home?
In this way, it is recommended to carry out preventive or security measures in case of living with more people to avoid infecting them if they are not yet. During the quarantine period, it is optimal to maintain a minimum distance of 1.80 meters , which would be about 6 feet, with respect to the other inhabitants of the house, to be in a separate room as far as possible, to wash your hands with soap and water frequently or if it is not possible to use hydroalcoholic gel, try to touch your face as little as possible and disinfect the surfaces of the house to prevent the virus from remaining on them.
Regarding isolation, where the subject already has the disease, the recommended measures will be more restrictive. Thus, we will try to stay another stay and if it is not possible we must maintain the safety distance of 1.80 meters, mentioned above, in this circumstance we will also have to wear the mask, preferably of a surgical type, as well as the mask. we will put when someone brings us something and the contact is closer. In the same way, we will try to frequently wash our hands and disinfect the furniture and objects that the infected person may have touched.
Note that in case we can go out because we are vaccinated and do not show symptoms, we must bear in mind that the recommended safety distance, noted above, varies according to the activity we carry out, so if we are outside and there is air it will be better to increase the distance to 4 or 5 meters since the particles that we expel when we are in motion remain floating for a while, being more likely to reach us if there is air. Similarly, if we run or ride a bike, the required separation will be 10 meters.
To the classic question “what do you do?” I always answer “basically I am a psychologist”. In fact, my academic training has revolved around the psychology of development, education and community, a field of study influenced my volunteer activities, as well as my first work experiences in personal services.