Covid: Craig Mackinlay calls for UK to consider five-day isolation

An MP is calling for the UK to consider shortening the current Covid-19 isolation time from seven days to five.

Craig Mackinlay, MP for South Thanet, Kent, recommended the UK "looked into" US data as the UK was "suffering from serious losses of staff".

Health officials in the US halved the isolation time for asymptomatic cases from ten to five days last month.

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) last week said a five-day isolation period would be "counterproductive".

The Government said "no further changes to the isolation period" were planned.

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Mr Mackinlay, a Conservative, told the BBC: "If there is an opportunity to cut that isolation period down based on good data - and I would recommend we look at the US very closely - I think we should take that opportunity and see if anything can be done.

"Let's not forget that we had the science that said ten days was good just a few weeks ago and we're down to seven in the UK.

"Backed up with data, let's see if we can go that little bit further and get down to five days if safe to do so."

'Like-for-like'

The UKHSA said in a statement: "In some settings, such as hospitals, it could actually worsen staff shortages if it led to more people being infected."

The agency also said that comparing the US with the UK was not comparing "like-for-like".

In the US, the advice is to isolate for five days once you get a positive test, which may be some days after the first symptoms.

In the UK, the advice is to self-isolate from the point at which you have symptoms or get a positive test, whichever is first.

The Department of Health and Social Care said: "We keep all rules under review based on the latest health data."

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