IT MIGHT JUST BE A COLD, NOT COVID-19: WHEN TO GET TESTED

With the spike in Covid-19 cases around the world, many hospitals, clinics and ERs in Dubai are seeing an increase in the number of worried people presenting doctors with blocked noses and sore throats — demanding that a coronavirus test be done. For peace of mind, they say.

But a senior official at the Dubai Health Authority (DHA) clarified that screenings are not done this way. Just because one has a cold or flu doesn’t mean he needs a Covid-19 test immediately.

In an exclusive interview to Khaleej

Times, Dr Abdulla Al Rasasi, head of the preventive medicine section at the DHA’s public health protection department, said: “Patients should be suspected to have the infection only if they present respiratory symptoms, with or without fever, and have travelled to one of the high-risk countries; or have come into contact with an individual or animal known or suspected to have Covid-19.”

Countries with high infection counts include China, Hong Kong, South Korea, Iran, Japan, Singapore and Italy.

People have to understand that healthcare facilities cannot test everyone, he said. “If we allow everyone to take this test, we will exhaust our resources, which we do not want to do. We want to preserve our resources and use them for those who are at higher risk,” he told Khaleej Times.

However, if a person matches the Covid-19 conditions, then he must be taken to the nearest hospital or clinic, preferably with a mask on.

Elaborating on the Covid-19 test, Dr Al Rasasi said: “The healthcare worker takes swab samples from the suspected patient. After the swab test, the patient is kept in the isolation facility until the result is released, which roughly takes 24 hours.”

In case the swab test results for Covid-19 turn out to be positive, Dr Al Rasasi said the DHA would send its special ambulance and healthcare officials to fetch the patient’s immediate family so they could be screened and tested as well.

The family of the infected person must stay in quarantine. “This is because, sometimes, even if one does contract the virus, it may take some time to show symptoms. If in those 14 days any of the family members develop symptoms, the DHA will send an ambulance and transfer them to its facility,” he explained.

For confirmed cases, treatment of symptoms is done until they test negative, which takes roughly two to three weeks, Dr Al Rasasi said.

If we allow everyone to take this test, we will exhaust our resources, which we do not want to do. We want to use our resources for those who are at higher risk.”

Dr Abdulla Al Rasasi,

Head of preventive medicine section, DHA