Durban - With all the misinformation and fake news circulating on social media about coronavirus, the National Institute for Communicable Diseases has released a video in which they explain who should be tested for Covid-19, when, how and why.
According to the NICD's Professor Cheryl Cohen, there is a set criteria that a person needs to meet before they can be tested.
"The first thing you need to have in order to be tested for the coronavirus, is that you need to be ill. We are testing people who have an acute respiratory infection that has come on quite suddenly with fever, a cough or shortness of breath or a sore throat," explained Cohen.
She said they were also looking at people with a travel history, more especially those who had travelled from high-risk countries or have been in contact with a person who is either suspected of having coronavirus or whose results have been confirmed for coronavirus.
"We are also testing those healthcare workers who were exposed at healthcare centres where patients with confirmed Covid-19 have been treated," Cohen said.
The NICD is also testing those who may not meet the above criteria but who have pneumonia.
"This is to make sure that we don't miss any cases that aren't in the other groups," she said.
On Monday, the Health Ministry confirmed that the number of confirmed Covid-19 had surpassed the 200 mark.
Health Minister, Dr Zweli Mkhize, announced that there were 402 confirmed cases, an increase of 128 from Sunday's announcement.
Gauteng has the highest number of cases at 207, followed by Western Cape with 100 and KwaZulu-Natal with 60.
Globally, over 15 000 people have died from Covid-19.
