Protocols for when recovered COVID-19 patients can end self-quarantine and resume normal activities differ greatly across the U.S. and other countries, reports The Wall Street Journal.
A COVID-19 patient in Denver told WSJ she was instructed to self-quarantine for 10 days and until she did not have a fever for 72 hours. Meanwhile, a patient in Cincinnati was told to stay home for 14 days and until she had no symptoms for 72 hours.
The uncertainty around these guidelines in part stems from health experts' rapidly changing understanding of the novel coronavirus and a lack of data about COVID-19's disease progression.
"We're in uncharted territory. We really don't know. That's the problem," John Gumina, MD, chairman of family medicine at Neptune City, N.J.-based Jersey Shore University Medical Center, told WSJ.
Recovery recommendations may also vary based on a patient's specific case and severity. For example, Australia has three different sets of self-quarantine guidelines for people with mild cases, patients who require hospitalization and healthcare workers.
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