Astronaut quarantine period could extend to 21 days over coronavirus concerns

Even the International Space Station can’t escape the effects of the coronavirus on Earth.

According to Russian news agency RIA, astronauts on Earth may be faced with an extra week of quarantine before leaving the planet for the ISS.

Spaceflight is no trivial event so astronauts currently spend 14 days in quarantine before joining the crew of the International Space Station. The procedure has proved effective to date, but heightened concern over the spread of the coronavirus which has proved challenging to contain may extend the quarantine period by 50%.

There seems to be concession that a 21-day quarantine period isn’t necessary for the virus that takes 2 to 14 days to incubate, but what’s an extra week of solitude for good measure?

A cosmonaut crew change is expected in early April, so the procedure change would need to be finalized over the next few days if required.