Basic concepts

Incubation period

• the time between the exposure to the virus and the onset of symptoms
• Covid-19: on average 5-7 days, but can be as long as 14 days

Contagiousness period

• the period during which an infected person can transmit the virus to other persons
• Covid-19: on average 2 days before the onset of symptoms until 7 days after the onset of symptoms; patients having mild to moderate symptoms are usually not contagious after 8-10 days following the onset of symptoms

(Self)isolation

(Self)isolation applies if a person has been positively tested on Covid-19 or has symptoms that indicate a possible Covid-19 infection. The person has to avoid any contact with other people during the period that he is contagious, in order not to transmit the virus to other people

Quarantine

Quarantine applies if a person is at risk of Covid-19 infection but does not (yet) have any symptoms. The person has to avoid any contact with other people during the incubation period, in order not to transmit the virus to other people before the potential onset of symptoms

Motivation of the decisions taken

• a positively tested person has to respect isolation for at least 7 days (minimum contagiousness period) from the onset of symptoms or the moment of sampling leading to the positive test result, and as long as symptoms persist, in order to prevent that the infected person transmits the virus to other people
• a person that has had a high risk exposure to an infected person has to respect quarantine for at least 7 days (average incubation period) from the last high risk exposure to an infected person, and increased vigilance during 14 days (maximum incubation period) from the last high risk exposure to an infected person, in order to prevent that a possibly infected person that doesn’t have symptoms (yet) transmits the virus to other people

Decision tree

Symptoms -> test

Positive test result -> 7 days isolation from the moment of onset of symptoms, and as long as symptoms persist

Negative test result -> no isolation and no quarantine

No symptoms

Has had high risk contact (HRC) -> quarantine starting at the day of last high risk contact with an infected person (last HRC date) and nasopharyngeal sampling for PCR-test on day 7 (last HRC date + 7); quarantine certificate mentions

• • • • • last HRC date as start date of quarantine
        • last HRC date +10 as end date of quarantine
        • that a nasopharyngeal sample for a PCR-test has to be taken on last HRC date +7  and that a reservation of a sampling moment can be done via the reservation tool
        • a link to a website containing clear information about isolation and quarantine

Tested and positive test result received -> 7 days of isolation from the moment of sampling; if the person develops symptoms during this isolation period, the isolation period is extended to at least 7 days from the moment of onset of symptoms, and as long as the symptoms persist

Tested and negative test result received on last HRC date +7, 8, 9 or 10 -> end of quarantine at day of reception of negative test result and increased vigilance until 14 days from the last HRC date

Not tested or tested but test result not received on last HRC date +10 -> end of quarantine at last HRC date +10, as mentioned in quarantine certificate, and increased vigilance until 14 days from the last HRC date

Didn’t have high risk contact (HRC) -> no isolation and no quarantine

Notes

1. During the quarantine period, all people can continue telework
2. During the quarantine periode, people executing essential functions can, as long as they are asymptomatic, exceptionally continue working on premise if this is strictly necessary to ensure the continuity of the service, in appropriate conditions and with increased vigilance
3. If test capacity is sufficient, additional test for high risk contacts could be decided as soon as possible after last HRC date in order to optimize contact tracing