FALSE: WHO HAS NOT WITHDRAWN COVID-19 RECOMMENDATIONS FOR SELF-ISOLATION AND SOCIAL DISTANCING
Rodgers Odhiambo and Celine Abuga
1/09/2020
FALSE: WHO HAS NOT WITHDRAWN COVID-19 RECOMMENDATIONS FOR SELF-ISOLATION AND SOCIAL DISTANCING
A tweet claiming that the World Health Organization (WHO) has made a ‘U-turn’, saying asymptomatic COVID-19 patients don’t need to be isolated or quarantined is FALSE.
The post, shared on WhatsApp, YouTube, Twitter, and Facebook, claims that WHO has rescinded its advice on the isolation of all COVID-19 patients and social distancing in public, as asymptomatic patients cannot spread the virus.
The claim is false. According to the WHO statement given to PesaCheck by Halldorson Hedin, from the media relations desk, the basic measures needed to suppress transmission and save lives remain the same.
The WHO, the official said, still recommends the isolation of infected people and quarantining of their close contacts. Physical distancing is also encouraged, where possible. The health body states that both isolation and quarantine are important measures to avoid infecting others.
PesaCheck looked into the claim that the World Health Organisation (WHO) has taken a ‘U-turn’ and said that asymptomatic COVID-19 patients don’t need to be isolated or quarantined as they cannot spread the virus, and finds it to be FALSE.
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