If suspected of being exposed to a positive case, here’s what you can do
If you suspect that you have been exposed to someone who is COVID-19 positive in any of the clusters (Minuwangoda and Peliyagoda), this is what you may do.
You may call the Public Health Inspector (PHI) or the Medical Officer of Health (MOH) and seek his/ her advice. PHIs may be accessed through: www.phi.lk
Who decides who should take an RT-PCR test?
“An RT-PCR test should be taken under medical guidance and nobody should be allowed to do the RT- PCR test without a doctor’s referral, said Deputy Director-General (Public Health Services I), Dr. Hemantha Herath, pointing out that if someone goes to a doctor seeking this test, the doctor would carry out a risk assessment according to the guidelines given by the Health Ministry available on the website of the Epidemiology Unit.
He said that it is only with this referral letter that an RT-PCR test should be sought. Thereafter, whatever designated laboratory that does the test, after ensuring that there is a doctor’s referral, would have to convey the result to the Epidemiology Unit, especially if it is ‘ positive’. The result should be communicated along with information such as the tested person’s name, age, date of test, address and contact details.
Then the Epidemiology Unit would act on a ‘positive’ result and the patient would be hospitalised and his/her first second level contacts traced.
With regard to quarantining of contacts, Dr. Herath said that they agree that quarantining all individuals in state quarantine centres cannot go on in this manner.
“We have now instituted that health professionals should do a proper risk assessment and based on that decide whether to do a RT-PCR test today, tomorrow or some other day or not do a test at all. A decision could also be made whether the person needs to be quarantined at an institutional quarantine centre or at home. That will be made as an informed decision after a proper risk assessment by a trained health staff member. We have already gone to that level,” he said.
He added that this is why people need to adhere strictly to self-quarantine or home quarantine and support the health staff. It is their responsibility, as it is impossible to put a sentry at every household.