You’ve probably heard of people all over the world being quarantined if they exhibit symptoms associated with Covid-19, but did you know that some patients are being quarantined after recovering from the coronavirus?
Wuhan Quarantining People Who’ve Recovered from COVID-19 After a Recovered Patient Was Tested Positive Again
As you know, the Covid-19 coronavirus is ravaging China, and Wuhan especially.
At the time of writing, there are 79,561 cases worldwide, with 2,619 deaths.
And now, Wuhan, the epicentre of the virus, is requiring patients who have been discharged from hospital after recovering from Covid-19 to go on a 14-day quarantine at designated places for medical observation.
Why?
This measure was introduced after a Covid-19 patient who was initially discharged after recovering in southwestern Sichuan province’s Chengdu city was re-admitted after testing positive during a quarantine period at home.
According to The Straits Times, the patient tested positive for the virus during a check-up 10 days after being discharged.
Similar cases have also been reported in other regions.
Likely due to a Discrepancy
Now, before you start freaking out, you should know that experts believe the positive result after discharge can be attributed to a discrepancy in samples.
Official guidelines say patients must test negative for the virus twice, with at least a day between tests, before being discharged.
However, in these cases where patients tested positive after discharge, hospitals had used nose and throat swabs for such tests, which aren’t as accurate. Now, hospitals are required to use samples from the lungs, where the virus is most likely to be detected as it develops.
So, what could have happened was that the negative result the patient received that led to their discharge could have been inaccurate, and they probably still had the virus when they were discharged.
And that’s why they later tested positive for the disease again.
Reader: Wait, you mean that there’s a rational explanation for this and that I have nothing here that I can use to fuel my irrational fears?
Yes, at least that’s what the experts say.
Reader: Boooring
China’s National Health Commission recommends recovered patients monitor their health for 14 days, wear masks, and reduce outdoor activities after leaving hospitals due to risks of contracting other pathogens.
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As for the quarantine after discharge, it is completely free of charge for the patients.
Now, before you start sending texts on WhatsApp to all your friends and family members saying “EXPERTS SAY IT’S POSSIBLE TO GET THE COVID-19 VIRUS TWICE”, please take a deep breath and gently fling your phone out the window.
There is no evidence that one can contract the Covid-19 virus twice. As the experts say, it was likely due to a discrepancy in results.
