KUCHING, July 16: Of the 13 existing Person Under investigation (PUI) cases in Miri, Miri Division Disaster Management Committee (DDMC) confirms that eight cases have tested negative while the results of the rest of the five cases are still pending.
Miri DDMC clarified that PUI cases does not necessary mean positive Covid-19 cases.
In a press statement today, Miri DDMC explained PUI refers to patients who presented with respiratory symptoms who may either have a history of traveling overseas or outside Sarawak, or have had close contact with Covid-19 patients.
Miri DDMC noted, however, that there have been previous records of Covid-19 cases in Sarawak being detected with no history of travelling overseas.
“Therefore as a monitoring strategy in Miri Division, anyone who presented with respiratory infection and pneumonia (all termed collectively as Severe Acute Respiratory Infection / SARI) to hospitals will be notified as PUI and the swab for PCR (polymerase chain reaction) Covid-19 test will be done for them despite not having a history of travel to overseas.
“This is a form of enhanced continuous surveillance being done at Miri Division ever since the division was declared as green zone,” said Miri DDMC.
The statement was issued to counter the false alarm caused by news reports which equate PUI cases as positive Covid-19 cases.—DayakDaily
