The Logic In The 14 Days Quarantine And Stay At Home Order

The coronavirus (covid-19) pandemic keeps on hitting even the best of health care around the world. Since much is not yet known about the virus, government and medical personnel adopt various strategies to treat and control the spread. One of such popular methods of prevention is quarantine.

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Quarantine is when a person that came in contact with a confirmed case without personal protective equipment stays indoors for a period of 14 days. These people include those who are coming from a country with many cases, somebody who was in contact with a confirmed case for some time or living in the same house with an infected person. Some countries provide quarantine centers. Others provide a hotel for all arriving travellers to stay for 14 days before leaving. And ever wondered why most countries order lockdown/shutdown for two weeks? The question is why 14 days? What is so special about 14 days?

Quarantine

Covid-19 (Coronavirus) Incubation Period

Every microorganism that causes disease has an incubation period. The incubation period is the time it takes from the day of infection to development of symptoms or detection of the organism by a test. The period varies from organism to species down to individuals. It could also be the level or amount of exposure. The person's immune system plays a lot of roles.

According to the world health organization (WHO), coronavirus (covid-19) has an incubation period of 2-14 days. Although, some research has proven that some cases are up to 30 days. However, WHO refused to change their stand for 14 days. What does that mean?

If a person comes in contact with the virus, it may take between 2 days to 14 days before the person may start to show symptoms or for the virus to be detected in their body. This is how it happens. After infecting the person, they occupy cells. These viruses start to make copies. These copies infect other cells in the body until there is no more cell to infect. The extra copies are shed through cough, sneeze, talking, etc.

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Since it takes within two weeks to be able to determine if one that is exposed to the infection is infected or not, it makes sense to quarantine them for that long. At the end of the 14 days, those with the virus would have been detected and isolated when they exhibit symptoms or test shows positive. The few people with that person will then continue quarantine for another 14 days.

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