COVID-19

If you have been infected with the COVID-19 virus, you can spread it to others. The risk of transmitting the infection lasts for around 10 days.   

During the 10-day period following the start of the infection, the Health Directorate recommends:

• Keeping away from vulnerable people;
• Limiting contact with others (avoid parties and gatherings);
• Wearing a mask (an FFP2 mask if possible) during this period.

If there are vulnerable people in your household, we recommend that you wear a mask during contact. To protect others, we recommend wearing a mask in public places, on public transport, in the workplace and in any other places where you may encounter vulnerable people.

Most of the measures associated with the health crisis have been lifted in Luxembourg. Public places can be frequented without having to provide proof of full vaccination, recovery from COVID-19, or a negative test result.

It is not mandatory to wear a mask in public spaces.

The obligation to self-isolate ended on 1 April 2023.

The obligation to self-isolate ended on 1 April 2023. However, if you test positive, working remotely is still strongly advised.

If you are unable to work from home, following hygiene rules and taking barrier measures are strongly recommended:

1. wear a mask;
2. wash your hands regularly;
3. clean surfaces; and
4. ventilate rooms.

If you have been infected with the COVID-19 virus, you no longer have to report it to the authorities or to your doctor.

You may be infected, and may therefore test positive for COVID-19, even if you have no symptoms. The risk of infection is at its highest in the first few days following contact, and declines significantly after seven days.

For the seven days following the potentially infecting contact, we recommend:

• avoiding contact with vulnerable people;
• limiting your contact with others (avoid parties and gatherings);
• wearing a mask (an FFP2 mask if possible) during this period;
• self-testing regularly. We recommend testing yourself every day for the five days following your last high-risk contact, using a rapid antigen test, whether or not you have symptoms.

If you test positive, you can check your result by having a laboratory PCR test done.

For children between the ages of two and six, please contact one of the laboratories below to make an appointment for a PCR test:

• Laboratoires Bionext
  
• Laboratoires Ketterthill
• Laboratoires Réunis

Since autumn 2023, vaccination against COVID-19 is recommended for people at risk of serious forms of the disease, in particular:

• People aged 65 and over;
• Pregnant women;
• People at risk of serious forms of the disease, regardless of their age, and the people with whom they have regular contact:
  • Obese people (BMI >30);
  • Diabetic patients undergoing treatment;
  • People with severe cardiovascular disease;
  • People with chronic lung disease;
  • People with chronic liver disease;
  • People with chronic kidney disease;
  • People with cancer or a blood disease;
  • People with immunosuppression associated with a disease or a treatment;
• Healthcare personnel.

Anybody who wants to be vaccinated, even if they are not in a high-risk group, can be vaccinated.

You can get vaccinated in doctors' surgeries.

In doctors' surgeries

Anyone aged 6 months or over is eligible for vaccination. You can make an appointment for the COVID-19 vaccination at participating GP surgeries and paediatric clinics. Children between the ages of 6 months and 4 years can only be vaccinated in paediatric clinics.

COVID-19 vaccination is recommended for children with severe risk factors.

Only paediatricians hold paediatric doses for children. You need to make an appointment with the paediatrician in question. Pharmacies do not hold paediatric doses. Paediatricians in hospitals do not offer vaccination.

Since 1 April 2023, there has been no requirement to isolate. If your child is infected and you need a prescription for medical leave, please contact your GP.

For vaccinations administered since 1 July 2024, the certificates issued are no longer CovidCheck certificates. They are therefore no longer European digital certificates. Consequently, they cannot be scanned using the CovidCheck mobile app. Nonetheless, they still contain a GouvCheck QR code. This QR code enables you to check the authenticity of the certificate issued by the Health Directorate of the Ministry of Health and Social Security.           

As with any vaccine, and indeed any other medicinal product, there is no such thing as zero risk. The occurrence of adverse effects can never be completely ruled out. If adverse effects do occur, they tend to be harmless and/or short-lived. The risk of serious side effects is relatively low.

Possible harmless side effects include reactions at the injection point (e.g. redness), or flu-like symptoms such as aching muscles, headache or fever. These reactions are adverse effects that are generally well known for any type of vaccine, and for COVID-19 vaccines in particular. These reactions are completely normal and are a sign that the immune system is kicking in. They generally disappear after a few days.

As with any vaccine, there is a risk of more serious side effects. However, this risk is relatively low, and the risk-benefit ratio is broadly in favour of vaccination. More serious possible side effects include severe allergic reactions, or an irregular heartbeat.

It is important to note that only vaccines whose efficacy, quality and safety have been sufficiently demonstrated are approved. This is why clinical trials play such an important role. During these trials, vaccines are tested in several phases on large groups of people, with the final phase possibly involving tens of thousands of people. For a COVID-19 vaccine, the number of people on whom the vaccine was tested – i.e., between 30,000 and 60,000 people – was much higher than for most other vaccines.

It is also worth noting that a special European coronavirus-vaccine monitoring system has been put in place, so that action can be taken quickly should any problems arise.

For further information on the adverse effects associated with each vaccine, please consult the up-to-date version of the summary of product characteristics (SPC) or the package leaflet for each vaccine.

The national contact point for coordinating the treatment pathway is the Neuropsychiatric Hospital Centre (CHNP).

Practical information
Email: long-covid@chnp.lu
Tel.: (+352) 2682-2904

You can request a long COVID consultation or a request for care in the long COVID care pathway (Pdf, 1.44 Mb)

Download the explanatory infographic here: How the national care network works