UAE authorities have clarified the rules for isolation and quarantine for COVID-19 patients.
The National Emergency Crisis and Disaster Management Authority (NCEMA) published a video to their official Twitter page outlining the guidelines for asymptomatic COVID-19 patients, mild COVID-19 patients and severe COVID-19 patients.
Asymptomatic patients
For those who have tested positive for COVID-19, but have remained asymptomatic throughout their mandatory 10-day quarantine period can be released from isolation automatically.
Patients showcasing mild and moderate symptoms
Patients with mild or moderate COVID-19 symptoms can leave isolation if it’s been at least 10 days since their symptoms first appeared and at least 24 to 48 hours since they last have had a fever without the use of medication.
Interim Guidance for Discharge/Deisolation of #COVID19 Patients and Quarantine of Close Contacts.#TogetherWeRecover pic.twitter.com/yXMvUcImTa
— NCEMA UAE (@NCEMAUAE) February 23, 2021
Patients with severe symptoms
Those who are severely immunocompromised or are hospitalised must follow the following guidelines to be discharged:
- It must have been at least 10 days and up to 20 days since the date of their symptom onset.
- Two consecutive negative PCR tests are required with specimens tested 24 hours apart.
- At least 24 to 48 hours since the patient’s last fever without the use of fever-reducing medications.
- The patient has improved and has minimal respiratory symptoms.
Close contacts
The NCEMA also clarified the definition of close contacts of COVID-19 in the UAE.
Those who have been exposed to someone with the virus two days before the onset of illness and/or the date of the positive swab to 14 days after:
- Being within a two mere radius of a COVID-19 case for 15 minutes or more.
- Direct physical contact with a COVID-19 case.
- Providing direct care for COVID-19 patients without full PPE.
- Living in the same household as a patient.
To date, there have been a total of 378,637 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the UAE – 8,256 cases are currently active.
