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The NIPH and the Norwegian Directorate of Health disagree on both measures and on what the situation is really like.
At Monday’s press conference, Prime Minister Erna Solberg said that the Norwegian Health Directorate and the Norwegian Institute of Public Health needed more time to agree on changes to quarantine regulations.
The reason is that there is in part a great disagreement between the two state health actors.
Also read: The infection situation makes Solberg fear more deaths
Fear of the explosion of hospitalization
In a letter to the government published on Monday, the Norwegian Health Directorate describes significant concern about the situation Norway now finds itself in.
– Our experience with covid-19 so far indicates that the increase in infection rates after a few weeks will manifest itself in an increase in hospitalizations. Therefore, there is reason to expect significantly more hospital admissions if the increase in infection in Norway continues in the coming weeks. We remind you that on March 12, 2020, there were only 14 patients admitted to Norwegian hospitals and that there were at most 325 patients admitted to Norway (April 1).
Or to put it another way: it was a 23-fold increase in the number of hospitalized patients in less than three weeks.
– This led to a significant reduction in health services activity that lasted until the beginning of autumn and which, in the long run, has probably caused a loss of health in part of the population. The consequences for vulnerable groups have also been significant as a result of the reorganization of the operations of the municipal health service and the specialized health service.
Loss of health means in bureaucratic that people have not received the help they need and are therefore getting sick.
Also read: The new crown rules apply to the entire country as of Wednesday, October 28
– Another assessment of the pandemic
They point out that Sweden is now starting to report a critical situation in hospitals, having had an infection situation similar to the one Norway is now entering.
– This shows that with a continued increase in infection in Norway, we are not necessarily many weeks away from a situation that is more similar to early March. Therefore, the Norwegian Health Directorate has an assessment of the situation of the pandemic in Norway at the end of October 2020, which deviates somewhat from the assessment of the situation of the Norwegian Institute of Public Health, according to the Directorate of Norwegian Health.
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You want much more intrusive quarantine rules
While the Health Minister at Monday’s press conference said not much was needed to reverse the trend, the Norwegian Health Directorate wants a number of adjustments, with which the National Institute of Public Health disagrees.
To handle the situation, the Norwegian Health Directorate wants the following changes, among others:
- One must be completely asymptomatic after respiratory illness before returning to work and school and should not be sufficient to be able to refer to a negative corona test.
- All members of a household must be quarantined if one of the household members is quarantined
- If someone in the household wants to have a corona test, all household members should be quarantined until the test result is available.
The Norwegian Health Directorate also flatly states that if one is unsuccessful in the first attempt to quell the pandemic, which is basically meant to last until early December, one should use the big mallet:
– If this fails, it will be very problematic to ask the population for another attempt with similar measures. So the need for new closure measures may be greater, and Norwegian society does not benefit from that.
FHI believes that the measures are too strict and may go against their purpose
In a short document, FHI responds that in part they strongly disagree with the recommendations of the Norwegian Health Directorate, writing that they believe they are not well thought out:
– We believe that several of the proposed measures require further reflection and processing, and that based on an understanding of the infection situation, there will be other measures that could have a better effect, writes FHI.
They are very concerned that extending the quarantine scheme will lead to unnecessarily high absenteeism, but also that it may cause people to avoid testing.
– In our opinion, these measures represent a significant extension of the quarantine scheme compared to the current rules. This is not merely a clarification as the introduction to the point may seem. The wording here can make it appear that all three points are current advice and are about strengthening compliance. Overall, we are concerned that these measures will result in a large absence.
They are very skeptical that the tests will not have a positive effect on people:
– The first measure places a significant burden on businesses, including schools, nursing homes and home services. A negative test of symptomatic individuals has great predictive value. For the vast majority, this proposal means that even the slightest cold symptom must disappear before you can return to work / school, etc. Therefore, the period of sick leave is significantly extended. The ability to shorten the period of absence in the event of a negative test is an important incentive for future testing.
Also read: Top doctor punishes crown measures
Home quarantine can have major consequences
FHI also does not like all members of a household to be quarantined if a person is quarantined.
– The important thing should be that those who are really exposed are quarantined, and comply with the quarantine. Today, quarantine is widely used, even when exposure is uncertain. For example, many classes are quarantined, as well as all guests in some issuers. And putting your household contacts in leisurely quarantine will affect many, especially children and young people who are not allowed to participate in important social settings, writes FHI.
We have recently seen a large number of people in quarantine:
Also read: More than 1,000 people in quarantine in Trondheim
Fear of the sick will not be tested
Proposing that everyone should be quarantined if a person tests themselves for safety reasons, FHI simply fears that people won’t get tested:
– The latest measure could discourage testing. A person with a new cold may not want to be tested if it means the whole family needs to be home until the test result is available. 99% of those who test themselves do not turn out to test positive and thus their family / home will have been unnecessary in the waiting quarantine, writes FHI.
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