Changes to process of detaining COVID-19 patients in treatment centers
February 7, 2021 07:22 pm
It has been decided to retain COVID-19 patients at treatment centers only for a period of 10 days, when the virus is considered to be contagious, says Chief Epidemiologist Dr. Sudath Samaraweera.
The patients are to remain at home during the remaining 04 days, he added.
The Chief Epidemiologist mentioned this speaking at a press conference held today (February 07).
He said, “It has been scientifically proven that an infected person has very little chance of spreading the disease to another after 10 days. Therefore, we have to isolate for a period of 14 days.
We will keep [a COVID-19 patient] at a treatment center during the first 10 risky days. The remaining 11 to 14 days [the patient] will be isolated at home.
In any case, if there is a delay in the laboratory result, it may not be possible to keep [the patient] in the treatment center for 10 days as we calculate from the date the sample was obtained. Therefore, this situation needs to be rectified.”
