Washington DC. Dr Damodar Poudel, medical director at a hospital in Ohio, USA says that there is no danger of corona being spread from a person who has tested positive and remained in isolation for 10 days.

Talking with Kiran Dhakal, program presenter of DCNepal’s ‘Health Concern’, Dr Poudel said, “If someone has completed his stay in isolation and has shown improvements in his condition, then the virus won’t transfer from him to others.” People need not worry if they test positive again after the isolation period he said.

“Isolation and quarantine are important while dealing with COVID-19. The 10 days you separate yourself from others after you test positive for the coronavirus is isolation period, while the 14 days you distance yourself away from others after coming in contact with infected people is  the quarantine period. The symptoms of COVID-19 can be seen till 14 days,” Dr Poudel informed. “If one has tested positive for the virus but does not exhibit any symptom, then also he should stay in isolation. if he goes outside mixing with people then he is more liable to transfer it to others, specially to those with weaker immune system and made weak by other diseases.

Dr Poudel advised all to use mask to cover mouth and nose, giving example of a research in Japan which showed wearing masks decreased the COVID-19 transfer rate by 50 percent. He is against the masks with valve, however. Plain cotton masks are affective; it’s better to use them, he said.

He has suggested people living in the US and other developed countries to get vaccinated compulsorily against flu. A COVID-19 infected person should also be vaccinated against flu because if he contracts flu on top of COVID-19, it will make his  condition more complicated, he said.

He has talked on many topics related to COVID-19 such as the corona vaccine and its effectiveness,  the causes for the increase of corona cases among the Nepalis and the Nepali speaking Bhutanis in the USA and  problems in their treatment and the process to treat people without any documents. The full interview is available in the video link provided above.