KUCHING: “Cooperate with the authorities even if you feel well. If you go home, you will pass the virus to their families.”
This is Local Government and Housing Minister Datuk Seri Dr Sim Kui Hian’s appeal yesterday to Covid-19 patients who had recovered and were in stepdown.
He revealed that Covid-19 patients could take more than the usual two weeks to shed the virus.
“During this time, they are still contagious. In some people, the virus can stay for longer. Even though these people have no symptoms, they can continue to have the virus – we call it the shedding of the virus,” he said, adding that this could go on for weeks.
“If they keep shedding the virus and they go out, they can pass the virus to others,” he told the State Disaster Management Committee (SDMC) Covid-19 daily update press conference here.
Dr Sim explained this was why some patients were in stepdown.
He said this meant they were well and without symptoms, but the authorities were waiting for the patients to test negative for the virus.
He said that the longest possible period of shedding for Covid-19 was yet unknown, though in most cases there would be no more shedding and viral spreading after 14 days.
“However, we are very careful – we keep swabbing patients and if the results are still positive, then the patient is still carrying the virus.”
Dr Sim pointed out although the incubation period for Covid-19 was usually 14 days, there had been reported cases where it was longer.
“We have noticed that often if you are older, the virus tends to appear earlier. For younger individuals with stronger immunity, the virus tends to appear a bit later,” he said.
Dr Sim said this was the rationale behind medical experts’ advice on the state’s protocol of swabbing returning students on Day 7 or Day 10 of their quarantine period, as most infected individuals could be effectively tested by then.
He said it was difficult to pinpoint exactly how long the incubation period could be as Covid-19 was new and was still being studied.
