Dubai: Came in close contact with a COVID-19 case? Quarantine for 10 days

Dubai: If you have come in close contact with a COVID-19 positive case, you would be required to go into isolation for 10 days, according to an announcement by the Dubai Health Authority (DHA) on January 5.

Who needs to quarantine for 10 days?

The reduced quarantine period, from 14 days to 10 days, is applicable in the following cases:

• COVID-19 patients who did not develop any symptoms since testing positive.

• Patients with mild cases of COVID-19 who have fully recovered from their symptoms - without the use of fever-reducing medications.

• Individuals who have come in close contact with a confirmed COVID-19 case but did not develop any symptoms. The 10-day quarantine period starts from the day they were exposed to the confirmed case.

Two negative tests requirement for more severe cases

As for patients who are hospitalised due to developing moderate, severe or critical COVID-19 symptoms, they can only be discharged when they have tested negative in a PCR test two consecutive times that are 24 hours – or more – apart. In this case, the patient should also be afebrile (not having any fever) for more than three days without the use of fever-reducing medications. Additionally, the patient should also have improved minimal respiratory symptoms and their pulmonary imaging must show significant improvements.

According to DHA, this category of patients should self-isolate for seven days after they are discharged. If symptoms appear again during the two-week period after discharge, they should revisit the clinic for a follow up.

The DHA said that shortening the quarantine period is based on global research on COVID-19, which found that the majority of contact cases get infected within the first 10 days from last exposure.