Spain moves towards normality. It does so after the downward trend in COVID-19 infections continues, as does the cumulative incidence of 14 days per one hundred thousand inhabitants, after the restrictions announced at Christmas were maintained at the beginning of the year as a result of the appearance of the Omicron variant.
The vaccines on the one hand, and natural immunity generated from infections by another, have played an important role in this improvement in the epidemiological context, in which the measures announced months ago were eliminated with the exception of the mandatory use of the mask indoors. This is no longer mandatory outdoors, and on the other hand, 100% capacity returned to sporting eventswith the inclusion of permission to eat and drink in stadiums and pavilions.
With almost 93% of the target population using the full regimen, the 35.6% of children under 12 years of age vaccinatedand 25 million additional doses inoculated in adults, the National Public Health Commission formed by the Ministry of Health and the autonomous communities agreed to approve the new Control and Prevention Strategy against COVID-19 which will take effect from Monday.
A strategy that includes several novelties. The first of them, the deletement of quarantines for asymptomatic people with mild conditions. Nor should those people who are close contacts of infected people, regardless of whether they are vaccinated or not, people asymptomatic and people with symptom mildwhich should no longer remain at home for seven days.
The second novelty has to do with the need to carry out a proof from auto diagnosis. In this case, only those people with severe symptoms related to SARS-CoV-2 should be tested. With regard to the groups that should be tested, there are those over 60 years of age, patients with previous pathologies, immunocompromised, pregnant womenand health and social health personnel, whose quarantine will be for five days.
Telecommuting recommendation with mild symptoms
In the supposed case of having mild COVID, as long as the symptoms are not severe and the disease does not develop, the idea is that the person can lead a normal life, although responsibly before coming into contact with vulnerable people, and with certain limitations. .
As indicated in the new strategy in its ‘Actions against people with compatible symptoms’ section, the people with mild symptoms “they must take extreme precautions and reduce social interactions as much as possible” and with the use of a permanent mask. For these people, teleworking will be recommended whenever possible and in case it is not susceptible to temporary disability.
All people without symptomsand those people who have completed the quarantine period five days will be able to return to their jobs, although the latter should do so if at least 24 hours have passed without fever and provided that the symptoms related to the disease disappear. They can also do it asymptomatic.
Keep the mask indoors
For the moment, the indoor mask is maintained, although if the same scenario is maintained or even the figures improve, the situation could change. Weeks ago the President of the Government, Pedro Sánchez, assured that it will be the experts and health professionals who decide when to end to this measure that has been in force since the start of the pandemic in March 2020.
However, some virologists point out what will happen with the new scenario. For example, the CSIC virologist, Margarita del Val, explained on ‘Antena 3’ the reasons why the probability of contagion will increase. “Until all Spaniards are infected with Omicron, the waves will not really go down again“.