By Amin Kef Sesay
NaCOVERC and SLAJ bring Big Idea of this Week, 16th – 22nd August, 2020, with the theme “Getting Tested Helps Stop the Spread of COVID-19”. Indeed, this is a timely and wise admonition that we all must take very serious. Results can only be determined when tests are conducted. Within this ambit, it is really tough for some people to venture into what could best be described as the unknown.
But as they say “You never try, you never know” which is why we must be bold enough to get tested at this crucial moment when the coronavirus is still evasive. It is only when we do medical tests that we will know our status. Knowing our status would provide the roadmap as to the next step we must embark on medically.
Getting tested to know if you have the coronavirus helps stop it from spreading to your loved ones and people in your community who could get very sick. By getting tested, you are saving lives.
If you test positive for coronavirus but do not have any signs and symptoms, there are two options: stay home but in an area away from others you are living with, or go to a community care center.
A health worker will talk to you and decide on the best option for you. In a community care center, a health worker checks you every day and gives you any care you may need. You will receive meals, counseling, and can talk on the phone with family and friends.
You can carry personal possessions to the center and take them home with you when you leave.
After a week in the center, you will be tested again. Once you test negative for the virus two times at least 24 hours apart, you will be cleared to go home. People returning home from a community care center or treatment center should be warmly welcomed back by their family and neighbors.
For more information on this topic, visit coronafet.link/BigldeaWeek8
For more information on the GoSL COVID-19 response, please visit:
https://mic.gov.sl/ https://dhse.gov.sl/
#CoronaFetNaWeAllFet
