Is shortening the isolation required, or is it a "very serious mistake"?

Experts disagree on the recommendation of staffs

After the doctor claimed in an article in Walla!

Because the isolation policy for asymptomatic patients is "madness" - and has been met with harsh criticism from the Ministry of Health - the medical community is undecided among itself.

In the face of those who agree that the procedures are too strict, there are those who believe that approving verified people to go out to work is a "scandal"

Meirav Cohen

16/01/2022

Sunday, 16 January 2022, 12:40 Updated: 12:42

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In the video: Corona Projector, Prof. Salman Zarka in a media briefing (Photo: GPO)

Doctors and researchers responded today (Sunday) in various ways to an article by Prof. Idit Matot of Ichilov Hospital in Tel Aviv, published in Walla !, in which she called for changing the isolation policy for corona patients without symptoms, with an emphasis on children, For strains of the virus.

While some reinforce her words, agreeing that the isolation policy is too strict, others mention that asymptomatic patients are still contagious, and therefore should not be released from isolation.

More on Walla!

• Prof. Matot: The unnecessary fear of the Omicron has dragged the country to the brink of collapse.

  We did not go crazy?

• Ministry of Health v. Prof. Idit Matot after publication in Walla !: "The lust for publication outweighs responsibility"

• Ilan Refaeli: Our natural Israeli development to prevent hair loss has proven to be effective

Corona ward at Beilinson Hospital in Hadera, about two weeks ago (Photo: Reuven Castro)

"The isolation policy may have been right for the time being, but now it does not provide an answer," says Prof. Hagai Levin, chairman of the Association of Public Health Physicians, who agreed with the spirit of the staff. To learn, but a healthy child who has been exposed to verification, remains at home.

This situation needs to change, and focus on those in the risk group.

The education system and business are disrupted because the isolations are too strict.

"Why don't we shorten the days of isolation for verified people to 5 days, like in the United States?"

More on Walla!

A subspecies of Omicron was discovered in Israel;

Ministry of Health: "Under surveillance"

To the full article

On the other hand, Prof. Cyril Cohen, an expert in the immune system at Bar Ilan University, says that even if dealing with the omicron strain is different and the policy needs to be adapted to it, drastic measures should not be taken.

"We are in a different saga and dealing with the omicron strain which is much less problematic, but I do not think everything needs to be changed. I agree that care should be taken to isolate children because something is not working, I hurt it personally too," says Prof. Cohen.

"Regarding the isolation of health care workers, I disagree with myself. We must not isolate staff so that they do not catch on, but because there are no staff, the quality of care is harmed and we hurt patients. In any case, we have not yet reached the stage where discounts can be made. And we need to prepare for this in advance with the help of early information about the verified people. "

Controversial article.

Prof. Matot (Photo: Reuven Castro)

On the other hand, Prof. Itzik Levy, director of the Infections Unit at Schneider Hospital in Petah Tikva, expressed strong opposition to Prof. Matot's remarks, especially regarding the release of verified patients - for work.

"Positive people should not work, especially not in a hospital. It would be a very serious mistake if someone decides to let the verified work, even a scandal," Prof Levy said.

"No one knows that everyone will go through it easily. Verified, no matter if they are children, adults or health care workers, should not be released from isolation because asymptomatic ones are also contagious. I oppose the views that Prof. Mate expresses and fails to understand how home The patients [Ichilov - MK] are behind this. "

An appointment for a corona examination in Tel Aviv, about two weeks ago (Photo: Reuven Castro)

Prof. Matot is the director of the anesthesia, pain and general intensive care unit, the director of the surgical department and a member of the Corona headquarters at the Ichilov Medical Center in Tel Aviv. Yesterday she published in Walla! An article in which she claimed that "anxiety and a sense of fear drive decision-makers", said the data on the number of difficult patients was wrong and called for the abolition of isolations for asymptomatic patients. "Unfortunately," Prof. Matot wrote, "instead of treating this strain accordingly, people are forced to be imprisoned in their homes, we are de facto in a kind of closure and the country is on the verge of collapse. Say, have we gone crazy? And for what?"

The Ministry of Health reacted sharply to Matta's remarks, accusing her of irresponsibility.

"The proposal is unacceptable, and the conduct and language in which it has chosen to express its criticism raises concerns that lust for publicity sometimes outweighs responsibility," they wrote.

According to the Ministry of Health, "While the health care system is making a tremendous effort to maintain public health and save lives, noisy elements are emerging, including doctors, who are producing irresponsible discourse aimed at eroding public trust."

They clarified that Prof. Matot's proposal "is not acceptable to the Ministry of Health, could lead to severe harm to at-risk groups, an increase in the number of critically ill patients and mortality."

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• Omicron variant