Although most people recover from Covid-19 within five to seven days of the onset of symptoms, the World Health Organization (WHO) still recommends a 14-day quarantine, an official from the organization told a press briefing on Tuesday. However, said Abdi Mahamud from WHO's Covid-19 Incident Management Support Team, states must make decisions about the duration of quarantine based on their individual situations.

In countries with low infections, a longer quarantine time could help keep case numbers as low as possible, he explained. In places with runaway cases, however, shorter quarantines may be justified in order to keep countries running, he added. The WHO official told journalists that it was possible to be infected by both influenza and Covid-19. However, since the two are separate viruses that attack the body in different ways, there is "little risk" of them combining into a new virus.