In line with the ongoing efforts to contain the COVID-19 pandemic, the Dubai Health Authority (DHA) recently announced the reduction of the isolation period for certain infected patients and close contact cases to 10 days from the initial 14 days.

This reduced isolation period will be applicable to those COVID-19 patients who did not develop any symptoms since testing positive. It will also be applicable to those patients who fully recovered from the mild symptoms of the disease., without intaking fever-reducing medications.

Those people who came in close contact with a COVID-19 infected patient but did not show any virus symptoms are also required to follow the new quarantine period. For them, the 10-day quarantine period will start from the day they were exposed to the infected individual.

Those patients who are hospitalized after developing moderate, severe or critical COVID-19 symptoms are required to present two consecutive negative PCR tests taken at least 24 hours (or more) apart from each other in order to get discharged from the hospital.

At the same time, the patient must not show any feverish symptoms for more than three days before the date of discharge. During this period, they must not use fever-reducing medications to tackle the symptoms. Furthermore, their minimal respiratory symptoms and pulmonary imaging must show significant improvements in order to allow their discharge.

As per the regulations issued by the DHA, patients with moderate, severe or critical COVID-19 symptoms are required to self-isolate for seven days after getting discharged from the airport. However, if any symptoms reappear during the two-week isolation period after discharge, they must revisit the clinic for a follow-up medical check.

The DHA decided to reduce the quarantine period on the basis of global research on COVID-19 which stated that the majority of contact cases are getting infected within the first 10 days from last exposure.

WAM