SAMA hopeful that revisions to quarantine, contact-tracing protocols will be reinstated
The South African Medical Association (SAMA) says they still believe the Department of Health circular on revising contact tracing, quarantine, and isolation protocol was a step in the right direction
On Friday, the Department of Health announced that all quarantine measures may be stopped, especially when a person had contact with another who tested positive for Covid-19.
However, in a turnabout, the department on Tuesday withdrew the circular after receiving some backlash from societal groups.
SAMA chairperson, Dr. Angelique Coetzee says withdrawing the initial circular, which SAMA supported, will only create confusion
“SAMA still believes that the circular circulated on Contact Tracing, Quarantine, and Isolation protocols are good protocols," Coetzee says
“Withdrawing it at this stage does not make sense, as it will only going to confuse people.”
Coetzee says it's now back to basics as contact tracing is not guaranteed to work at this point of the pandemic.
“Tracking and tracing are not going to assist a lot because you can still test negative and already be infected, or you could have been infected before and because the test can’t distinguish between live or dead viral particles you might still test positive although you are asymptomatic and maybe had Covid two or three weeks ago,” says Coetzee.
“It becomes difficult to distinguish, so hopefully that circular will be put back.”
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