Bavaria, Baden-Württemberg and Schleswig-Holstein are the first federal states to single-handedly abolish the obligation to isolate. Critics fear rising corona numbers. However, a look at other European countries shows that this does not have to be the case.
After Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg, Schleswig-Holstein is now saying goodbye to the isolation requirement for people infected with corona. From now on, people with a positive test are not only allowed to go out on the street, but also to work and school. The arguments of the countries: It is time to treat Corona like a normal disease and to rely on personal responsibility. In addition, symptom-free infected people could go to work with a mask and thus alleviate the shortage of staff. Proponents of the obligation to isolate, such as Federal Minister of Health Karl Lauterbach, warn of the increasing number of infections.
But does the lifting of the obligation to isolate actually lead to more corona cases? A look abroad can provide information. Because several neighboring countries of Germany took this step months ago.
Since August there has no longer been an obligation to isolate in Austria. Instead, “traffic restrictions” apply: the prerequisite is that those infected do not feel ill. Then they can not only go outside with an FFP2 mask, but also to school and work. This also applies to teachers and basically also to hospital staff.
As in Germany, the decision also met with criticism in Austria. The social democratic opposition spoke of “irresponsibility”. Even the government’s own advisory body warned that the step was “connected with a series of incalculable risks”.
In fact, the lifting of the obligation to isolate did not have a major impact on the infection process. The number of laboratory-confirmed cases even fell by mid-September. Then the October wave rolled across Austria. At that time, the daily number of infections reached peak values ??of well over 100,000. However, the steep rise only lasted for a short time. In the meantime, the infection process has calmed down again, the values ????are back to the level of late summer.
However, the official number of cases, even for the “test world champion” Austria, is now associated with great uncertainty. The country is no longer testing as much as before. And the wastewater analyzes also indicate a high number of unreported cases. However, this does not seem to have an impact on the hospitals. Only four percent of the intensive care units nationwide are occupied by Covid patients. And there have also been fewer and fewer corona patients in the normal wards since the end of October. The feared overload due to the elimination of the obligation to isolate did not materialize.
In the event that the number of infections should rise again threateningly, the government in Vienna has an emergency plan up its sleeve. The four-stage plan ranges from the obligation to wear masks to reintroducing the obligation to isolate and quarantine to stricter restrictions on public life. However, a lockdown is only an option in the event of a catastrophic development – a scenario that is currently very unlikely.
Even before Austria, Switzerland abolished the obligation to isolate, as well as all other corona measures. Since April 1st, infected people are no longer obliged to stay at home. The difference to Austria: This also applies to corona positives with symptoms. In addition, the mask requirement has been lifted in all areas. Demands to at least keep them in hospitals, trains and buses went unheeded. The recommendations are also in Switzerland: If you are ill, stay at home.
Instead of corona rules, the federal government and cantons have since limited themselves to vaccination and behavioral recommendations. For example, infected people without severe symptoms should discuss with their employer whether and how they should continue to work.
The abolition of all measures has not worsened the infection situation, as it seems. Similar to Austria, the number of cases initially decreased, at least on paper. The summer wave that followed drove the numbers up, but it was manageable for the clinics. In the meantime, the Corona situation has calmed down again. The seven-day incidence is almost 490, and without the obligation to test and isolate, a high number of unreported cases can be assumed. But only about four percent of hospital patients are there because of Corona. The Swiss authorities see this as confirmation that no further action is required.
However, a debate broke out about the increased excess mortality, especially among the over 60-year-olds. In fact, many more people died in Switzerland this year than expected. The reason for this? “Most likely the corona waves,” said the Bern epidemiologist and specialist in excess mortality, Marcel Zwahlen, on SWR. The chief physician at a clinic in Winterthur, Urs Karrer, also recognizes a direct connection with the continuing high level of coronavirus circulation,” he told the “Tages-Anzeiger”. The Federal Office of Public Health, on the other hand, said that it was not yet able to give any scientifically proven reasons.
Since March 28, there has no longer been an obligation to isolate in Poland. Nevertheless, there were no notable fluctuations in the number of corona cases in spring and summer. The infections did not increase again until the end of the summer holidays. Peak values ??of around 40,000 infections per day as at the beginning of this year were not even close to being reached despite the lack of isolation requirements. However, tests only take place now and then. Neither the obligation to isolate nor other corona measures are an issue for the government in Warsaw.
At the same time as Poland, Spain also abolished the obligation to isolate mild and asymptomatic cases. Since then, the number of infections has remained relatively stable, although here too the official figures are hardly meaningful. The same applies to the number of deaths. In addition, overall hospital and intensive care unit occupancy rates are at their lowest since the pandemic began.
In Great Britain, there has also no longer been an official obligation to isolate yourself if you test positive for the corona virus since the end of February. Nobody can say with certainty what effects this will have on the infection process. Because the United Kingdom has long since stopped providing reliable corona numbers. However, the Office for National Statistics runs 300,000 PCR and rapid tests and 120,000 blood tests across the country every month. The October 21 report estimates the proportion of people who are corona positive at over 3.1 percent – that would be more than 3,100 cases per 100,000 inhabitants. However, the situation in the clinics is currently calm, but there are growing concerns about a strong winter wave with corona and flu.