In Singapore, quarantine comes with sea view, room service

“The government said last week it’s placing residents returning from the US and the UK in hotels to prevent them from potentially spreading the virus to their families, a measure that’s tighter than one that earlier allowed them to serve the period at home.”

Read here (Bloomberg, March 28, 2020)

Modes of contact and risk of transmission in COVID-19 among close contacts

A new preprint on medRxiv examines the modes of contact and the level of transmission among close contacts of persons infected with COVID-19. The study follows just under 5,000 close contacts in Guangzhou, China. Of the close contacts identified, 2.6% of cases developed symptoms during their quarantine, the majority of which were mild or moderate cases (89.9%) and a small portion of which were asymptomatic (6.2%). They authors found that contacts within the same household were at the highest risk of contracting COVID-19.

Read here (Medrxiv, March 26, 2020)

Note: As the Covid-19 situation worsens in the US, Europe and other countries, our students and other citizens are coming home in large numbers. They are being told to self-quarantine. Many are doing it at home, in which case they may infect others if they are carrying the virus. Some are sending their folks to AirBNBs.

The psychological impact of quarantine and how to reduce it: Rapid review of the evidence

‘The December, 2019 coronavirus disease outbreak has seen many countries ask people who have potentially come into contact with the infection to isolate themselves at home or in a dedicated quarantine facility. Decisions on how to apply quarantine should be based on the best available evidence. We did a Review of the psychological impact of quarantine using three electronic databases. Of 3166 papers found, 24 are included in this Review. Most reviewed studies reported negative psychological effects including post-traumatic stress symptoms, confusion, and anger. Stressors included longer quarantine duration, infection fears, frustration, boredom, inadequate supplies, inadequate information, financial loss, and stigma. Some researchers have suggested long-lasting effects. In situations where quarantine is deemed necessary, officials should quarantine individuals for no longer than required, provide clear rationale for quarantine and information about protocols, and ensure sufficient supplies are provided. Appeals to altruism by reminding the public about the benefits of quarantine to wider society can be favourable.’

Read here (The Lancet, Feb 26, 2020)