Covid-19: vaccinated and contact cases, here are the isolation rules that concern you

A detail may have gone unnoticed. When the Minister of Solidarity and Health Olivier Véran detailed, in an interview with the Journal du dimanche, the new doctrine on the isolation of people positive for Covid-19 and contact cases, the latter briefly mentioned several cases of figure concerning the public already vaccinated. In particular that of people eligible for the recall, who have not yet done so, and whose current health pass is still valid. If they are identified as being in contact with a positive person, should they isolate themselves?

The new general rule given by Olivier Véran in terms of isolation is that people declared a contact case, justifying a “complete vaccination schedule”, are exempt from it when they are tested negative (via an antigen or a PCR). . The latter are however required to carry out self-tests on D + 2 and D + 4 after the date of their last contact with the positive person. But we still have to understand what we are talking about when we talk about a “complete vaccination schedule”. This technical jargon can indeed lead to confusion. Because, if in the general spirit, this term corresponded to a course in two injections or a dose preceded by an infection, the expansion of the vaccination booster campaign to all adults has made the rules of the game more complex. which cases you will need to isolate if you are declared a contact case, even if you have already been vaccinated against Covid-19.

“Primovaccinated” but not eligible for the booster

First option, you have received two injections or a dose preceded by a Covid-19 infection. But you are not eligible for the booster because your last injection was less than three months ago. If government jargon classifies you as a “first-time vaccine”, your immunization status is considered complete until you are eligible for the booster. Therefore, if you are in contact and your first test (antigen or PCR) comes out negative, then you will not have to isolate yourself. If the test is positive, however, you will have to isolate yourself for seven days. This period can be reduced to five days in the event of a new negative test result and if you have not had symptoms for 48 hours.

“Primary vaccine” and eligible for the booster, but you have not yet done so

The game becomes more complex if you become eligible for the recall. Because if this injection is not made, two scenarios are possible, one being necessarily more restrictive than the other:

• Either your last injection was more than three months ago and you are eligible for the booster, but your current health pass remains valid because you have not exceeded the seven-month deadline to regularize your vaccination status: if you are in contact and you are tested negative, you will not have to isolate yourself. If you test positive, you will need to isolate yourself for seven days. This period can be reduced to 5 days if you take a new test, this time negative, and you have no longer had symptoms for 48 hours. Contacted by Capital, the General Directorate of Health (DGS) confirms that the initial vaccination schedule (two injections or one preceded by an infection) remains complete until the end of the period authorized for its recall, namely seven months. Please note, from February 15, you must have received your booster dose against Covid-19 no later than four months after the last injection.
• Either you are eligible for the booster but have not done it on time: if you are in contact, and even if your test is negative, you will experience the same fate as people who have not been vaccinated at all. This means that you will need to self-isolate for seven days from the date of last contact with the positive person. On the other hand, if you test positive for Covid-19, the duration of the isolation will be ten days. It can be reduced to seven days if you take another test that comes out negative and you haven’t had symptoms for two days.

You have already had your vaccination booster

Last case, and probably the simplest: you have already received your booster dose against Covid-19. This injection generates a new QR code to regularize your vaccination status, which becomes officially valid seven days after the completion of the booster. If you are in contact with a person positive for Covid-19 and your first test is negative, no need to isolate yourself. If you are positive, it will take seven days to isolate yourself. This can be reduced to five days if you take a new test that comes out negative and you haven’t had symptoms for 48 hours.