Status: 01/17/2022 3:35 p.m
So far, six months after a corona infection was considered recovered – now the period has been reduced to three months. Because of Omikron, the risk of falling ill afterwards and becoming a carrier is greater, according to the Ministry of Health.
Anyone who has survived a corona infection is only given the recovered status for three months. The Federal Ministry of Health confirmed a corresponding change in the guidelines of the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) and justified the shortening with the new virus variant Omicron.
The background is that due to omicron there is a much greater risk of falling ill or being a carrier after this time, said a ministry spokesman. The determination of the RKI was made from a scientific point of view.
So far, proof of recovery has been recognized up to a maximum of six months after infection. This period of time was valid as long as you had to deal with the prevailing Delta variant, the spokesman said.
Change applies from Saturday
The RKI had already published the new specification on its website on Friday, and it has been in effect since Saturday. The ministry once again explicitly pointed out the change. The information from the RKI states: “The date of acceptance of the positive test must be at least 28 days ago”. And: “The date of acceptance of the positive test must not be more than 90 days ago.”
The legal basis is the change in the Covid 19 Protective Measures Exception Ordinance that came into force on Saturday. Accordingly, proof of recovery must meet criteria that the RKI publishes on a website. They are implemented by state regulations.
The RKI also explains on its website: “These specifications are checked regularly and can change according to the state of the art.” The regulation had previously stated as a general rule that the test was “at least 28 days and a maximum of six months ago”.
Status relevant for quarantine rules
The recovered status, like the vaccination status, is decisive for quarantine and entry regulations. According to the regulation, exceptions to the quarantine apply to those who have been vaccinated three times, those who have been vaccinated twice in the first three months after the second vaccination, those who have recovered in compliance with the three-month period and other people who have recovered with an additional vaccination. Special rules according to which one dose was recognized as a complete vaccination for the Johnson & Johnson vaccine are no longer applicable.