Medical Officer of Health Dr. Roger Duncan during the Ministry of Health, Wellness and the Environment’s press conference held yesterday, advised close contacts of COVID positive cases against testing too soon.
“If there is somebody in the workplace who tested positive on Monday and the last time he or she was at work was that very same Monday, the day they did the test; if you were to get tested on that Monday or Tuesday you could very well end up with negative test results which would give you the impression that there has not been any transmission of COVID-19 at the workplace and this really isn’t so”. Duncan said.
Dr. Duncan instead advised that persons isolate for five days before getting tested for the virus for more accurate results. He also pointed out circumstances that would lead to the individual not waiting for those five days to expire before getting tested.
“Ask these close contacts to self isolate for at least five days and then they’ll get tested. If anyone of these close contacts becomes symptomatic; that’s if they have a fever, if they get a cough, a sore throat, shortness of breath or any other symptoms during this five day period, then they will test immediately and not wait for this five day period to expire”. He said.
