COVID-19 – The responsible SA Business Response

[Dave A]

Two main indicators of potential Coronavirus infection is a temperature from 37.8 degrees Celsius and above, and a new cough.

If you are showing symptoms of Coronavirus infection:

• Do not go to work - no-one is going to thank you for introducing them to the virus or risking shutting down the workplace.
• Do not just arrive at a medical facility to report for testing - if medical assistance isn't carefully managed, you run the risk of shutting down the facility for a while and placing exposed medical staff to 14 days of self-isolation.
• Do not use public transport
• Try not to expose other people to yourself
• Do self isolate for seven days. It is understood you are at your most contagious for the first three days of symptoms and should no longer be contagious after seven days from the onset of symptoms.
• You can call 0800 029 999 (South African COVID-19 support number) for advice and assistance as to what to do next.

Probably worth mentioning here that surgical masks are designed to inhibit the wearer from transmitting potential infectious material into the environment and onto others, rather than keep infectious material out of the wearer's respiratory system. If someone starts coughing around you, it is probably more beneficial for them to put on a mask to limit potential spread than for you to pop one on to keep the infection out.

(I predict people with coughs are about to become social outcasts, particularly in crowded spaces such as public transport).

There's quite good page on self-isolation issues from Sky News here.

In a South African context, quite a few of these DO's and DON'Ts come with particular challenges. We should dig into these deeper in later posts...