Covid: WHO chief urges governments to be ‘careful’ after calls to cut isolation

A leading figure at the World Health Organisation (WHO) has said it is not “advisable” to reduce Covid controls, including self-isolation periods, as increasing case numbers spiral across the globe.

Dr Michael Ryan, executive director of the WHO’s Health Emergencies Programme, warned that governments need to be “careful” about reducing restrictions in the light of the Omicron variant.

At present, people who receive negative lateral flow results on day six and day seven of their self-isolation period – with tests taken 24 hours apart – no longer have to stay indoors for a full 10 days.

But calls are growing on the Government to cut this further after the US slashed its self-isolation period to five days for symptomless people when the US Centres for Disease Control said most transmission of the virus happens in the two days before and three days after symptoms develop.

Speaking at a WHO press conference on Wednesday, Dr Ryan said: “Even with the previous variants, most people will incubate and show symptoms or be positive within that first six days or so, and the chances then of being positive or transmitting the disease after that are lower – but it is then for governments to make that judgment call of when to allow people out of a quarantine situation with extra tests.

“The most important thing at this moment is we need to be careful about changing tactics and strategies immediately on the basis of what we’re seeing in early Omicron data.

“‘Oh, it’s less severe’ – maybe its not; ‘It’s more transmissible’ – maybe it is, but we have to wait and see if the vaccines work or they don’t work, we have to wait and see, and I think it will be advisable at this point if we don’t see huge shifts, huge moves in reducing control measures for Covid-19 purely on the basis of initial and preliminary studies.”

On Tuesday, Chris Hopson chief executive of NHS Providers – the membership organisation for NHS trusts in England, said many in the health service now fear staff shortages caused by people isolating could represent a “bigger challenge” than the number of patients needing treatment for Covid.

In a statement on Wednesday, he said: “Given the current pressures on NHS services due to staff absences, trust leaders are keen that everything possible is done, as quickly as possible, to maximise rapid safe return of staff to work.

“That includes ensuring appropriate timely access to both PCR and lateral flow testing, both of which are currently proving problematic for some trusts.”

Others have emphasised a need for an evidence-led approach.