You have Covid-19. What next?

 

Follow health ministry guidelines and instructions if you have tested positive for Covid-19. (Bernama pic)

PETALING JAYA: The public health system has come under immense pressure in the past month, with daily Covid-19 cases now at the 6,000 plus mark and a record number of deaths reported each day over the last few days.

This surge in cases is not just limited to the Klang Valley, with daily infections in once-green states like Pahang and Terengganu back in the hundreds.

Here are some things you need to know if you have just tested positive for Covid-19, to prepare yourself and your loved ones.

First things first

If you were tested at a non-health ministry facility, check yourself in at your nearest Covid-19 Assessment Centre (CAC). The full list can be found here.

If you were tested at an MOH facility, the ministry or CAC will be in touch with you.

Healthcare facilities are required to report positive cases through the public health laboratory information system (Simka). Your MySejahtera app will also be updated.

Inform people you’ve recently met

While there may be some shame and hesitance to inform the people you’ve met recently about your Covid-19 status, it is imperative to do so in order to ensure their health and safety.

Notify the people you’ve come into close contact with that you’ve contracted the virus, and encourage them to get tested themselves.

Where will you be treated?

These are the five categories of Covid-19 patients according to the health ministry:

• Category 1: No symptoms (such as sore throat, cough, headache or fever)
• Category 2: Symptomatic without pneumonia
• Category 3: Symptomatic with pneumonia
• Category 4: Symptomatic with lung infection and requiring oxygen supplementation
• Category 5: Critical patients with multiple organ complications

Patients in the first two categories will be allowed to be treated at home, although this also depends on whether you are elderly, have other medical conditions, and if your home allows for physical distancing.

If you are required to be sent to a hospital or low-risk treatment centre, wait for MOH to get in touch with you while strictly quarantining yourself at home.

If treated at home…

Utilise the health assessment tool (HAT) feature that will be added to your MySejahtera app and keep a close eye on your condition.

While at home, strictly follow the home-treatment guidelines issued by the health ministry.

Avoid contact with others at home, but if you have to talk to them, keep a one to two metre distance and wear a mask. Also, everyone should frequently wash or sanitise their hands.

If your conditions worsen and you develop difficulty breathing or a high fever, immediately contact your CAC or dial 999 in case of emergency. - FMT