Brazil’s Ministry of Health reduces quarantine for asymptomatic Covid patients from 10 to 5 days

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – The current guideline is for symptomatic patients to remain in isolation for 7 to 10 days, and asymptomatic patients for 5 to 7 days.

Last week, Health Minister Marcelo Queiroga said that the Ministry could reduce isolation.

When discussing this possibility, the Minister mentioned that the CDC (United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) has issued this recommendation.

The Ministry of Health recommends that asymptomatic people should isolate at home for at least 5 days. After this time, they should be tested. If testing positive, they must remain in isolation until the 10th day.

However, testing is not required for asymptomatic people, who may be released from isolation after the 7th day.

For symptomatic people, the isolation period is at least 7 days. At the end of this period, the patient must be tested. If the result is negative, they may leave isolation. If positive, they must remain in isolation until the 10th day.

“Isolation is at least 7 days. However, if on the 5th full day a patient has no symptoms, no respiratory symptoms, no fever, and has not used antipyretic medication for at least 24 hours, he or she can be tested on the 5th day,” said the Ministry of Health’s Secretary of Health Surveillance Arnaldo Medeiros.

Medeiros said that people who leave isolation before the 10th day should maintain a number of additional guidelines, such as avoiding travel and contact with people with comorbidities.

“People should maintain additional recommendations until the 10th day, such as avoiding crowds, contact with people with comorbidities, and use non-pharmacological measures until the 10th day,” he said.

The new rules occur amid Covid-19 cases caused by the Omicron variant. Queiroga said Brazil is following the model of a number of countries where the rise in cases has not led to an increase in the number of deaths.

“Undoubtedly the Omicron variant causes a much higher number of cases, but fortunately there is no increase in the number of deaths. Is it always going to be like this? We don’t know,” the Minister noted.

THE HEALTH MINISTRY’S GUIDELINES

5-DAY ISOLATION

No symptoms: on the 5th day, if a patient has no respiratory symptoms, no fever, and no use of antipyretic medication, for at least 24 hours;

Testing: on the 5th day through RT-PCR or TR-Ag;

Negative result: leave isolation after 5 full days and maintain the recommendations until day 10;

Positive result: maintain isolation for 10 full days.

7-DAY ISOLATION

No symptoms: on the 7th day, if the patient has had no respiratory symptoms, no fever, and no antipyretic drugs for at least 24 hours;

Testing: testing is not required to leave isolation;

End of isolation: leave isolation after 7 full days and maintain recommendations until the 10th day.

7-DAY ISOLATION

With symptoms: Symptomatic people with no respiratory symptoms, fever, and no use of antipyretic medication for at least 24 hours on the 7th day;

Testing through RT-PCR or TR-Ag;

If the test is positive, maintain isolation until day 10.

10-DAY ISOLATION

No symptoms: on the 10th day, if the patient has no respiratory symptoms, no fever, and no antipyretic medication for at least 24 hours;

No test is required to leave isolation;

Leave isolation on day 10 and maintain non-pharmacological measures.