Advisory on Work During GCQ #1
8 June 2020
To The University Community
From Norman Dennis E. Marquez, MD
University Physician
Subject Advisory on Work during GCQ #1
Situation summary:
- I will just defer the reporting of the DOH dashboard data to regular updates that DOH shares in the different media platforms, including, https://www.doh.gov.ph/covid19tracker
- Transmission of Covid-19, in most cases, is from symptomatic individuals to others in close contact, when not wearing the appropriate PPE.
- There is a possibility of transmission from pre-symptomatic individuals, with the highest infectivity 1-3 days before the symptoms appear. Patients appear to be less infectious after 8 days of illness.
- While transmission from asymptomatic individuals has been reported several times, researchers have not consistently demonstrated its mechanism.
- There is no evidence from a genomic analysis that the SARS-CoV-2 is mutating into a virus with increased transmissibility or severity of disease.
These general preventive measures are still the cornerstone of managing COVID-19:
- Proper hygiene practices and effective hand-washing techniques
- Cover mouth and nose with tissue paper when coughing or sneezing then properly dispose of used tissue paper as infectious waste
- Keep a distance of at least 2 meters (around 6 feet) from a person suspected of having SARS-CoV-2 infection or flu-like signs and symptoms
- Avoid touching eyes after coughing/sneezing
- Do not spit just anywhere
- Proper handling and disposal of wastes; used masks should be considered as infectious waste and should be disposed of properly
- Avoid unnecessary assembly or mass gathering, especially in closed venues
- Gargle with warm saline solution 2-3x a day when having cough and sore throat
- Hydrate regularly and maintain a healthy lifestyle
- Process raw food properly/hygienically and cook food well
Keep the following handy in your everyday bag:
- Alcohol and hand sanitizers, in case clean water and soap are not readily accessible
- Tissue paper, wipes, or paper towels
- Extra masks, in case the issued cloth mask gets damped and soiled
- Rubber gloves, in case you need to touch/pick up a dirty or contaminated object
- Small trash bags for your used masks/tissue paper/gloves, in case there are no waste bins nearby
Question/s for the day:
Why are we not requiring a Covid-19 confirmatory test for all employees? Can a rapid antibody test be used to determine the risk of transmitting the virus from one person to another?
Most patients with active Covid-19 present with symptoms such as cough, sore throat, fever, headache, body ache, diarrhea. These symptoms are not specific to Covid-19. To confirm the diagnosis, the rt-PCR test remains the standard test to detect the presence of the virus collected from a nasal and throat swab. There are infected individuals who remain asymptomatic and the test may turn out negative. It would be impractical to test all of them because while they may contribute to the transmission of the disease, these asymptomatic patients are not the main driver for the spread of Covid-19. It would be more cost-effective to test symptomatic patients, especially those with exposure to a confirmed Covid-19 patient or who recently visited an area with known community transmission of Covid-19.
An antibody test, at this point, is less reliable in detecting the presence of the virus compared to an rt-PCR test. A positive antibody test will have to be validated by an rt-PCR test. This adds an unnecessary step and expense to confirm infection. A negative antibody test may mean the person may not have produced enough antibodies to be detected by the test or that the infected person is not able to produce the antibody at all. This will then give a false sense of security. This antibody test may be more useful to monitor the recovery of a confirmed Covid-19 patient and not as a screening tool
We cannot rely on current tests to warn us against asymptomatic patients. We will just have to exercise caution by wearing masks and keeping a safe distance from others when in public spaces. Recent studies show that in most cases, Covid-19 patients begin to be less infective after 8 days from the onset of symptoms. Still, more pieces of evidence are showing that after 14 days of illness, patients are not infective anymore, even when their rt-PCR tests are positive.
You can also refer to the following links for more information and updates:
- Department of Health, https://www.doh.gov.ph/2019-nCov
- World Health Organization, https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html
These bulletins are intended to provide general updates and interim guidelines as events related to the COVID-19 pandemic evolve. Expect changes and adjustments in prevention and containment protocols as new information emerge daily. Also, given the volume of news reports and opinions being circulated in media and the internet, we enjoin everyone to refrain from sharing unverified information that can confuse or mislead others.
Let us work together to build a safer and healthier community that we may serve the people for the greater glory of God.
