When should you call your GP? 

Currently, the NICD lab is the only one testing for Coronavirus. If you, or a loved one, meet the following criteria, please call your GP (don’t visit their rooms in case you might risk infecting others):

Criteria for Person Under Investigation (PUI)

Persons with acute respiratory illness with sudden onset of at least one of the following: cough, sore throat, shortness of breath or fever [38°C (measured) or history of fever (subjective)] irrespective of admission status.

AND

In the 14 days prior to onset of symptoms, met at least one of the following epidemiological criteria:

Were in close contact¹ with a confirmed² or probable³ case of SARS-CoV-2 infection;

OR

Had a history of travel to areas with presumed ongoing community transmission of SARS-CoV-2; i.e., Mainland China, South Korea, Singapore, Japan, Iran, Hong Kong, Italy, Vietnam and Taiwan

OR

Worked in, or attended a healthcare facility where patients with SARS-CoV-2 infections were being treated

OR

Admitted with severe pneumonia of unknown aetiology.

Footnotes:

1 Close contact: A person having had face-to-face contact or was in a closed environment with a COVID-19 case; this includes, amongst others, all persons living in the same household as a COVID-19 case and, people working closely in the same environment as a case. A healthcare worker or other person providing direct care for a COVID-19 case, while not wearing recommended personal protective equipment or PPE (e.g., gowns, gloves, NIOSH-certified disposable N95 respirator, eye protection). A contact in an aircraft sitting within two seats (in any direction) of the COVID-19 case, travel companions or persons providing care, and crew members serving in the section of the aircraft where the index case was seated.

2 Confirmed case: A person with laboratory confirmation of SARS-CoV-2 infection, irrespective of clinical signs and symptoms.

3 Probable case: A PUI for whom testing for SARS-CoV-2 is inconclusive (the result of the test reported by the laboratory) or for whom testing was positive on a pan-coronavirus assay.

USEFUL RESOURCES

Covid-19 online resource and news portal: https://sacoronavirus.co.za/

The National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD): https://www.NICD.ac.za/