Almost twice as many people continue to transmit coronavirus on the fifth day after their diagnosis and self-isolation than on day seven.
Nearly one in three (31%) are still infectious on the fifth day after a positive diagnostic test, compared with 16% - about one in six - on the seventh day, according to estimates by UK health authorities.
The modelling study, conducted by the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), according to the UK Independent, also estimates that only 5% of people - one in 20 - are still able to transmit coronavirus ten days after being diagnosed with the test.
Furthermore, it concluded that in most cases transmission of the virus occurs during the early stage of infection rather than at an advanced stage.
The US reduced the isolation period from ten to five days last month and Britain is considering doing the same from seven (which is currently) to five days. The new findings show, however, that after the fifth day after being diagnosed with coronavirus, a - not insignificant - number of people can still potentially transmit it to others if they - and those around them - do not observe the proper precautions (mask, spacing, etc.).
At present, the British government is weighing up the scientific evidence on whether to proceed with shortening self-isolation to five days, following the previous reduction from ten days to seven.
Professor of Epidemiology, Irene Petersen, of University College London (UCL), argued that the government would shoot itself in the foot if it proceeded with a reduction to five days. If you release people after five days, you gain a certain percentage of the workforce, but if a third of them are still contaminated, you may as a consequence lose a larger number of people.
Source: CNA
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