Some in Sabah not reporting they tested positive for Covid-19

 

Many say they ‘feel better’ not to get into the hassle of reporting their status through MySejahtera.

KOTA KINABALU: Some Sabahans are not reporting they tested positive for Covid-19 to the health authorities, after conducting self-tests.

FMT, which has been receiving reports about this, spoke to several individuals who cited various reasons for keeping the positive test results to themselves, saying it “felt better” doing so.

A man, who only wanted to be known as Biden, said he did not want to be sent to a quarantine centre by the authorities, likening it to “a prison sentence”.

“I heard some people were sent to centres as far as Kota Belud (in northern Sabah). So, when you declare the result, they will tell you they are picking you up, so that’s a pass for me,” he told FMT.

As he felt that his symptoms were not serious, he decided that home isolation was the best option, adding that he had notified those he believed had come in close contact with him.

Limin (not his real name) said he and his family opted to quarantine themselves at home for 10 days, instead of informing the health ministry, when they found out that they were infected.

Another woman, who recently tested positive for Covid-19 alongside her husband and baby, said they decided not to report to the authorities so “our sick leave will not be deducted or risk our pay being cut”.

However, Sabah health director Dr Rose Nani Mudin said more people were actually reporting their test results to the ministry, compared with before, through the MySejahtera app.

She did not provide any figures.

Sabah has been registering four-digit daily infections since Feb 5, with the highest being 5,565 cases last Friday.

Meanwhile, Dr Aldred Soo, who is with the Queen Elizabeth Hospital II here, pointed out that not reporting confirmed infections would put the general public at risk.

“Reporting is of utmost importance so everyone affected can get notified (by the health authorities) to minimise infections,” he told FMT.

Sabah Covid-19 spokesman Masidi Manjun admitted that it was not easy to regulate behaviour, but said people should “spare a thought” for the frontliners.

“Just be honest to yourself and all the people around you. Their well-being, including that of your neighbours, is dependent on your actions and the way you manage your infection,” he said. - FMT