Medical Criteria for Greater Safety in Easing Quarantine

 By Jennifer L. Gaudiani, MD, CEDS-S, FAED

With various states starting to ease quarantine recommendations, the question is: what will actually make alterations in quarantine medically safe, or at least safer? These are the criteria I’m using for my family (appreciating our privilege that we can work and do school from home safely and comfortably) and for our clinic. 

·      We have to know who’s COVID-positive: Rapid, accurate, and inexpensive tests must be readily available for each person to use as often as once a week to know if they are COVID-positive, with or without symptoms. Those who are positive should remain in quarantine as should the individuals they live with. We now know that asymptomatic individuals not only spread the illness to others, but that they themselves are at risk for life-threatening strokes due to the potential for serious blood clotting issues from the virus. 

·      We have to know who’s COVID-immune (for now): Rapid, accurate, and inexpensive tests must also be easily accessible for everyone to check if they have the COVID antibody; that means their body has gotten COVID, and their immune system has beaten it, leaving a residual immune antibody signature that says, “COVID was here.” We believe that the presence of COVID antibodies confers immunity at least for some period of time. Unlike with measles for instance, where antibodies from the vaccine are long-lasting and confer lifetime protection, we believe that COVID antibodies will only protect one for a limited period of time, maybe a year. This is like what happens with influenza; those who receive the vaccine (never perfect, always better than nothing) and those who actually get it won’t be at risk for getting influenza (again) till the following season.

I think when these two criteria are met, it will be vastly safer to go back to work and school and to play, travel, and socialize. Until these two criteria are met, however, all who can feasibly continue to quarantine responsibly should, despite the intense psychological, financial, and logistical burdens this places on so many. Why?

·      It keeps you and your family safer

·      It keeps our healthcare providers on the front lines safer

·      It keeps our most vulnerable loved ones safer—including the elderly, those with chronic diseases, those living in poverty, and people of color who have been getting sick and dying in disproportionate numbers

·      It buys more time for scientists to develop treatments and a vaccine