What happens if you test positive for COVID-19?

DG gives clear picture of procedure and facilities at both state and private sector institutions

With many people requesting the Sunday Times to give a clear picture of the procedures with regard to hospitalization and quarantining, here is what Director-General Dr. Asela Gunawardena says:

If you test positive for COVID-19:

If you test positive for COVID19 through an RT-PCR test or Rapid Antigen Test and are symptomatic (showing symptoms of the disease such as fever, cough, sore throat and shortness of breath), you will be taken to a designated hospital for treatment. You will be kept there mandatorily for 14 days or more until symptoms disappear and will be discharged after an ‘exit’ RT-PCR test becomes negative.

If you test positive for COVID19 and are symptomatic or asymptomatic (without symptoms) but you are in a highrisk group such as over 60 years of age or whatever age but with co-morbidities (other diseases such as diabetes, kidney & heart disease, pressure etc.), you will also be taken to a designated hospital for treatment. Once again, you will be kept there for 14 days or more until symptoms disappear and then discharged after an exit RT-PCR test becomes negative. If you are mildly symptomatic or asymptomatic, you will be sent to an intermediate care centre where you will be mandatorily kept for 14 days. Thereafter, you will be discharged without an exit RT-PCR test as there is clear medical evidence that after the 10th day you are not infective (can spread the disease to others).

Once you test positive, what happens to your close (first) contacts:

Once you test positive, your close contacts will be asked to mandatorily self-isolate (be in quarantine) in their homes for 14 days. If their homes are congested, they will be taken to quarantine centres. RT-PCR testing will be done on them either on the 5th, 7th or 10th day, most often on the 10th day, to establish whether they too have got infected.

An intermediate care centre being run by a private hospital

The Health Ministry has granted permission to Lanka Hospitals at Narahenpita to run an intermediate care centre at a 60-room hotel just up the road from its location at Colombo 5.

The COVID-19 positive people sent there are being looked after by the medical and nursing staff of Lanka Hospitals. The food is being prepared by the hotel staff but they have no contact with the patients, it is learnt.

An intermediate care centre being run by the army

This is while the army is running an intermediate care centre at a 100-room beach hotel, close to Galle. Here too, while the staff prepares the food, the food is kept at the door of the patients while other logistics are being run by the army.

The Sunday Times understands that the army may turn more hotels into intermediate care centres.

Procedures followed when a person turns positive

Setting down the procedure, Dr. Gunawardena says that when a person tests positive, either at a state or private laboratory, the laboratory mandatorily informs the Epidemiology Unit. COVID-19 is a notifiable disease.

The Epidemiology Unit, in turn, informs the Operations Centre of the Health Ministry which is the central coordinating mechanism. Then the Ops Centre informs the Regional Epidemiologist and the MOH of the area from which the positive case has been found where the person is to be taken.

This would be based on bed-availability and also taking into account the person’s gender and whether others in the family (like babies) have to be considered and the choice of the person whether he/she prefers state or private facilities.

“Thereafter, arrangements are made to transport these people either in ambulances available at regional level, hired vehicles or buses provided by the army which is a great source of strength,” the DG explains.

He says that if there are large numbers and there is an overload in the system, there could be a delay, as the ambulances transport only about six people in one go.

“However, more than 90% of people who test positive are taken to the respective hospital or intermediate care centre within 24 hours,” he assures.

With regard to poor facilities at some hospitals and intermediate care centres, Dr. Gunawardena says that he did visit the Punani centre two weeks ago.

“I won’t say that the facilities are 100% optimal because there are a large number of people accommodated, but we are trying our best in challenging circumstances,” he said, adding that it is the largest centre accommodating around 600-700 people.

When asked about running water, he said that there is pipeborne water but the centre is located in an arid area. Sometimes the people too are very careless and every day the taps are broken. Do you know that there is a dedicated pippa baas (plumber) 24 hours a day?

Referring to complaints that the Sunday Times has heard that a treatment centre on the northwestern coast where the women’s section has only one bathroom for about 30 people, the DG said he had not received such a complaint.

“I will look into it,” he assured, pointing out that all facilities may not be equal and ideal. The health authorities are making a huge effort to give the best to a large number of people but all such centres may not be geared similarly in these difficult times.