The World Health Organization took issue with Europe's ineffective quarantining of people exposed to confirmed COVID-19 patients, saying this was one of the key causes for the massive second wave of infections battering the continent.
It laments proper quarantining of contacts isn't being fully implemented "systematically, anywhere" during the raging pandemic. This problem is more acute in Europe and the United States where new cases and hospitalizations are now setting records.
Quarantining works, asserted Dr. Mike Ryan, World Health Organization executive director of health emergencies, but the United States and Europe aren't doing enough of it right now.
"I do not believe that has occurred systematically anywhere, and particularly in countries that are experiencing large increases now," noted Ryan. "If you know yourself to be having been in contact with a case, you should be in full quarantine, at home, without contact with other people."
World Health Organization had earlier pointed out effective quarantining "means not going to work. It means not going to the grocery store. It means not socializing with friends. It means not having people over at your home."
It explained quarantining people exposed to sick patients is one of the most basic ways to end the spread of an infectious disease, like COVID-19.
Ineffective quarantining has helped boost the number of new infections in the United States, the United Kingdom, Italy and Belgium, among many other countries.
"About half of our member states within the European region have experienced a 50% increase in cases in the last week," said Ryan. "Clearly, across the board, we're seeing a large increase in cases."
The spike can also put down to the colder weather that keeps people indoors a lot more. Ryan, however, believes a more important reason for the surge is ineffective quarantining.
He referred to quarantining as a neglected virus-fighting strategy in addition to widespread mask wearing, hand-washing and social distancing.
Working together, these four basic safety measures are essential to effectively preventing the spread of COVID-19 and hindering more deaths. Ryan said quarantining isn't being done enough. He pointed out the key to effective quarantining is quickly getting people exposed to the virus away from others.
Ryan said quarantining is his single "golden wish" to improve the state of the pandemic.
"As a public health physician, if I was asked for one thing that could improve that might change the game here, that is: making sure that each and every contact of a confirmed case is in quarantine for the appropriate period of time, so as to break chains of transmission," he said.
