The World Health Organization has updated guidance regarding 19 clinical treatments and the use of face masks in the community. For the UN agency, the mask remains a crucial tool against the pandemic.
The World Health Organization announced the update of the guidelines to combat Covid-19, including the use of maskswhich for the UN agency must continue to be a vital tool to combat the disease.
The announcement is part of the process of reviewing the resources needed to face the pandemic. In addition to masks, the UN agency also updated guidance regarding 19 clinical treatments.
cover mouth and nose
The use of masks in public is recommended, regardless of the epidemiological situation, bearing in mind the spread of covid worldwide.
Masks are also indicated after an exposure to the disease or when someone suspects they have Covid or are at high risk of contracting the infection.
In spaces without ventilation, very full or closed, it is also necessary to use protection over the mouth and nose. Until now, the WHO recommended the mask only in a situation of illness.
Some of the factors considered for the use of protection are epidemiological trends and high levels of hospitalizationlevels of vaccination and community immunity.
quick tests
The UN agency recommends thatpatients with covid are discharged of isolation earlier if they have a PCR test the same negative rapid test.
When testing is not possible, patients with symptoms should be isolated for 10 days from the first signs.
Until now, the WHO recommended that patients be discharged 10 days after the end of symptoms. With the update of the guidelines, who had a positive test but not show any symptoms can only spend five days in isolation, instead of the current 10 days.
Evidence considered by the guideline development group shows that asymptomatic people are less likely to transmit the virus than those with symptoms.
Pregnant or breastfeeding women
The WHO has also extended a strong recommendation to take paxlovid by pregnant or breastfeeding women with covid, but not severely. The decision whether or not to take the drug should be made after consultation with a medical specialist.
Paxlovid was recommended by WHO in April 2022, but according to WHO use should be restricted to patients with moderate or mild covid who are at high risk of hospitalization.
The agency maintains a strong recommendation against the use of sotrovimab and casirivimab-imdevimab.
