COVID-10 | SCREENING, TESTING AND PREVENTION

Screening is not another word for testing.

Screening is what we’ve all been asked to help with, so that we can identify possible infections as early as possible. Monitor your health. If you develop any of the following symptoms, contact your health care provider immediately: a temperature above 38°C; a cough; a sore throat; or you’re finding it difficult to breathe. Don't go to the doctor or hospital and take a chance of infecting others - phone first. If you go out, wear a mask and try to stay at least two metres away from other people. Greet people without touching them.

The NICD provides several reasons for not recommending that people with no symptoms should be tested for COVID-19:

• There’s a worldwide shortage of laboratory tests. We need to reserve our laboratory testing resources for those who are sick and for targeted groups of people, so that the test results can be used to promote public health.
• A negative test result for a person with no symptoms doesn’t mean they don’t have COVID-19. They could still be in the early stage of COVID-19 and develop symptoms later. Testing when you don’t have symptoms could cause a false negative result.
• If you test negative and think this means you’re not infected, you could go back to your usual activities and spread the virus while in the early stages of infection.

According to the NICD, you will only be tested if you meet the criteria to be a person under investigation. The NICD updates these criteria regularly. At the moment, they include acute respiratory illness, with sudden onset of at least one of the following a cough; a sore throat; shortness of breath; or a fever above 38°C (measured) or a history of fever (subjective).

For more information about COVID-19 testing, please visit https://www.nicd.ac.za/what-to-do-if-i-think-i-have-covid-19/.

Remember to continue wash your hands reguarly; don't touch your face; wear a face mask if you go grocery shopping and wipe your groceries down when you get ho

SAVE THESE NUMBERS

• 0800 029 999  ... Phone this emergency number if you feel sick.
• 0600 123 456  ... Say “Hi” on WhatsApp to receive updates and support.
• coronavirus.datafree.co  ...Visit to stay informed, even if you have no data or airtime.
• www.sacoronavirus.co.za ... For the latest information and statistics about COVID-19 in SA.