Freestyle skater Michael Kingsbury voiced in Journalism His dissatisfaction with maintaining a mandatory two-week quarantine for returning athletes. On Twitter, he received support from microbiologist and infectious disease specialist Alex Karenian, who argues that the procedure can be withdrawn for people who have received two doses of the vaccine.
Mikael Kingsbury, tired of the two-week quarantine he had to undergo three times over the past season, decided to cancel his camp participation in June. A few weeks ago, sprinter Charles Philibert Thibautout also spoke of the “appalling” situation facing Canadian athletes.
For those who do not know the procedure yet, each time a Canadian leaves the country and then returns, they are required to take the test and self-isolate for 14 days. Alex Karenian, a medical microbiologist, infectious disease specialist and professor at the University of Sherbrooke, says this method “does not contribute significantly to our fight” against the virus.
“It was used once, but now, as vaccination progresses, we have more and more people who have received two doses of the vaccine,” he explains. With two doses, we now say that people are protected from disease, against severe forms … It also reduces transmission in the community. ”
With it all together, I think we have to be consistent. We vaccinate people, but it’s also meant to restore a certain form of freedom. Vaccines allow us to do this safely. We can see that many countries are following this trend. We are ready for a little change.
Alex Karignan, medical microbiologist, infectious disease specialist and professor at the University of Sherbrooke
Other advantages
according to ds Carignan, the mandatory quarantine rule can be lifted for people, of all categories of the population combined, who have received two doses of the vaccine.
“Certainly at the moment, that still applies to a minority of people, however. If we look at Quebec, 6% of people are fully vaccinated. Over the next few weeks, after we’ve given the first doses more and more, The second doses will really speed up. I think we are ready to update this policy, which already had a reason to be.”
He also argues that such an update may have other benefits, such as encouraging people who are reluctant to get vaccinated.
“There are people for whom the world of travel is very important,” he explains. I think we do have really interesting vaccination rates in the population, 75% of adults have been vaccinated, but we have to go further, and I think every extra vaccinated person is a win. This is the type of action that can have a significant impact in promoting a population’s adherence to vaccination. ”
There are heat people who find it difficult to move. On the other hand, there is a good percentage of people who are not yet vaccinated because they are reluctant. They are waiting to see what the effects will be. So, I think it might be useful.
considered ds Alex Carignan of the University of Sherbrooke
In his plea, Michael Kingsbury stated that the athletes went to places “much tougher than Quebec”. according to ds Carignan, there may be scope to provide “some relief in special cases”, such as for athletes.
“I can understand that it might be complicated for the federal government to go in there on a case-by-case basis, but obviously in the context we’re talking about here, these are probably very low risk people who come back because they are in very controlled conditions in the abroad,” he suggests.
In Quebec, mandatory quarantine should be at the center of discussions over the coming days. If the Montreal Canadiens manage to eliminate the Winnipeg Jets and advance to the fourth quarter of the playoffs, they will face the Colorado Avalanche or the Vegas Golden Knights.
Radio Canada journalist Roman Choi wrote on Twitter that three solutions would then be possible: an exception for CH players and US teams – which could cause jurisprudence for other sports – lifting quarantine measures for vaccinated players or leaving CH in the US. States for the rest of the qualifiers.
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