Picture: Medical Express

Faizel Patel – 17/07/2020

(Twitter: @FaizelPatel143)

Health Minister Dr. Zweli Mkhize has announced that the recommended isolation period for patients with confirmed COVID-19 infection has been reduced from 14 to 10 days.

In a statement, Mkhize says this recommendation is based on evidence that most patients with a mild Coronavirus  infection continue to shed the virus from their upper airways for approximately 7-12 days.

“Furthermore, the presence of detectable virus when testing does not necessarily imply infectiousness. It has been proven that in
mild cases, virus cultures are generally only positive for 8-9 days after symptom onset.”

Mkhize says the duration of infectiousness in patients with severe disease (i.e. requiring admission dues to clinical instability) is less well established.

“In general, patients with severe disease may continue to shed virus at higher levels for longer periods than patients with mild disease. To provide a buffer, it is recommended that such patients be de-isolated 10 days after clinical stability has been achieved, rather than 10 days after symptom onset.

Mkhize says these guidelines have been provided by the World Health organisation (WHO).

“The Ministerial Advisory Committee has also submitted an advisory in this regard. Their advisory proposed that the isolation period should be reduced to 8 days. After considering this advice and the guidelines by the WHO, the National Coronavirus Command Council, on recommendation by health, resolved to adopt the WHO guidelines.”

Mkhize also announced that the digital system the health department is currently using called COVIDConnect went live in June.

COVIDConnect, brings an easy-to-use self-service portal to your cellular phone and is freely accessible through WhatsApp and SMS.

What also makes it more accessible is that it does not require for a user to have a smart phone but it works on any mobile phone.

To access COVIDConnect, just add ‘0600123456’ to your phonebook and say ‘hello’ to us on WhatsApp. If you do not have a smartphone, just dial *134*832# and follow the prompts.