Health authorities in Finland's largest cities say the current coronavirus infection tracing system is no longer functional and should be abandoned. A joint statement by physicians responsible for communicable diseases in the cities says there is an urgent need for national guidelines on targeting of infection tracing.
According to the doctors responsible for infectious diseases in Helsinki, Espoo, Vantaa, Turku, Tampere and Oulu, tracing work should focus on situations with the highest risk of infection at this stage of the coronavirus epidemic.
Extensive quarantine orders, such as those covering workplaces, hobby groups, educational and daycare institutions, should be abandoned. In the current situation, the adverse effects are likely to outweigh the benefits, the health officials say.
They said that health safety precautions are generally good, especially at workplaces, hobbies, schools and kindergartens, where the risk of infection spread is significantly lower than between household members or close friends.
The physicians note that at this stage of the pandemic, municipal and hospital district staff already have solid experience as to who is most at risk of infection. The majority of infections come from within households or other close contacts.
It is obvious that the virus cannot be completely eliminated, the doctors say. However, vaccines are effective in preventing serious illness. Therefore, the prevention of every infection at any cost should no longer be considered a goal.
The open letter was sent to the prime minister's office, the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health and the health agency THL.
Tracing workload undermines other healthcare
According to the doctors, the infection situation has changed significantly during the late summer. The incidence of Covid-19 rose exceptionally rapidly due to the more contagious Delta variant and increased close human contact amid lighter restrictions on bars and restaurants, for example.
However, due to vaccination coverage, the number of serious cases has not risen in the same way as during previous waves of the pandemic.
There are also tracing problems, especially in the Helsinki metropolitan area, with significant delays in identifying and contacting those exposed as some people cannot be reached during the recommended quarantine period.
Tracing work is labour-intensive. In many places, there are too few employees for effective tracing, and recruitment has proven difficult. A significant proportion of health care professionals are already involved in coronavirus vaccinations, testing and border health checks.
Primary health care has suffered from cutbacks during the pandemic. Yet, despite the growing number of Covid cases, some municipalities have had to shift professionals from infection tracing back to their original jobs.
The care backlog caused by the coronavirus in primary health care is high. After the pandemic, more health professionals will be needed than before to tackle this, the physicians say.