Some media reports are failing to distinguish between the meaning of isolation and quarantine during this pandemic. Here is a discussion on the different terminology.
Self- Quarantine
Self-quarantine refers to quarantining oneself after being in contact with a COVID-19 infected or presumed infected individual. This does not mean that the self-quarantined individual is infected, this can only be determined after the individual is tested. The goal of a self-quarantined individual is to ensure that they do not pass on the disease to others if they eventually develop the disease. People who self-quarantine generally do this at home.
Self-Isolation
Self-isolation refers to isolating oneself after exhibiting symptoms and testing positive for the COVID-19 disease. A person who is self-isolating is infected and will minimize the chances of passing the disease along to others by self-isolating. It is recommended that self-isolating people, people with symptoms or a confirmed COVID-19 infection, restrict their activities to their local household to protect public health.
Again, the reason for self-isolation is to protect the general public. However, in households with self-isolating individuals, chances of household members contracting the disease are greatly increased. All other household members need to take precautions and adjust behaviors to ensure that they remain infection free. Therefore, a self-isolating individual needs to isolate not just away from the general public but also away from all other household members if possible.
There is reporting from China that household self-isolation did not contain the spread of the disease. Household self-isolation often resulted in infecting other household members who were previously uninfected. The number of infections in China began to decrease when the isolation of sick individuals was occurring away from their households. China set up isolation centers where numerous infected people were housed together. Because all of these individuals were already infected, they were not at risk of spreading the coronavirus among themselves.
From a household perspective, a self-quarantined individual, a person who has been exposed to an infected person, must be treated as if they were infected as well. This would mean that no physical contact between the individual and other household members and that all household members need to take the same precautions and adjust behaviors that they would do to minimize the risk of infection from a confirmed case.
If multiple individuals in the same household have been exposed to infected individuals and are self-quarantining, each should be quarantined separately and away from others household members. If one of the self-quarantine individuals becomes sick they will not then infect other self-quarantined individuals who may or may not eventually be infected.
For households where there is more than one self-isolated person, individuals who are infected or presumed infected, these individuals can be self-isolated together. They are already infected. These individuals can provide care and support to each other, they do not need to be separated. However, all other household members need to take extra precautions to minimize the risk of infection from these individuals.
Proactive Quarantine
Proactive quarantine refers to a group of people, usually members of a household, who are greatly minimizing or restricting contact outside of the household group. When public health officials are saying “stay home” they mean households should be proactively quarantining. Proactive quarantines are not conducted to protect the general public from sick (self-isolating) or potentially sick (self-quarantining) individuals, proactive quarantine is design to minimize the the risk of infection to all household members from outside sources.
Because the coronavirus is now rapidly spreading, proactive quarantines among family groups is an effective way to slow the spread of the infection among households and perhaps protect high-risk individuals in the household from becoming infected.
Self- Quarantine
Self-quarantine refers to quarantining oneself after being in contact with a COVID-19 infected or presumed infected individual. This does not mean that the self-quarantined individual is infected, this can only be determined after the individual is tested. The goal of a self-quarantined individual is to ensure that they do not pass on the disease to others if they eventually develop the disease. People who self-quarantine generally do this at home.
Self-Isolation
Self-isolation refers to isolating oneself after exhibiting symptoms and testing positive for the COVID-19 disease. A person who is self-isolating is infected and will minimize the chances of passing the disease along to others by self-isolating. It is recommended that self-isolating people, people with symptoms or a confirmed COVID-19 infection, restrict their activities to their local household to protect public health.
Again, the reason for self-isolation is to protect the general public. However, in households with self-isolating individuals, chances of household members contracting the disease are greatly increased. All other household members need to take precautions and adjust behaviors to ensure that they remain infection free. Therefore, a self-isolating individual needs to isolate not just away from the general public but also away from all other household members if possible.
There is reporting from China that household self-isolation did not contain the spread of the disease. Household self-isolation often resulted in infecting other household members who were previously uninfected. The number of infections in China began to decrease when the isolation of sick individuals was occurring away from their households. China set up isolation centers where numerous infected people were housed together. Because all of these individuals were already infected, they were not at risk of spreading the coronavirus among themselves.
From a household perspective, a self-quarantined individual, a person who has been exposed to an infected person, must be treated as if they were infected as well. This would mean that no physical contact between the individual and other household members and that all household members need to take the same precautions and adjust behaviors that they would do to minimize the risk of infection from a confirmed case.
If multiple individuals in the same household have been exposed to infected individuals and are self-quarantining, each should be quarantined separately and away from others household members. If one of the self-quarantine individuals becomes sick they will not then infect other self-quarantined individuals who may or may not eventually be infected.
For households where there is more than one self-isolated person, individuals who are infected or presumed infected, these individuals can be self-isolated together. They are already infected. These individuals can provide care and support to each other, they do not need to be separated. However, all other household members need to take extra precautions to minimize the risk of infection from these individuals.
Proactive Quarantine
Proactive quarantine refers to a group of people, usually members of a household, who are greatly minimizing or restricting contact outside of the household group. When public health officials are saying “stay home” they mean households should be proactively quarantining. Proactive quarantines are not conducted to protect the general public from sick (self-isolating) or potentially sick (self-quarantining) individuals, proactive quarantine is design to minimize the the risk of infection to all household members from outside sources.
Because the coronavirus is now rapidly spreading, proactive quarantines among family groups is an effective way to slow the spread of the infection among households and perhaps protect high-risk individuals in the household from becoming infected.
Comment