By Karen Bong
KUCHING, Apr 28: The Chinese medical team here to help the state in containing the Covid-19 outbreak have commended the Sarawak team for doing a great and meticulous job despite certain limitations in the supply chain issue.
Minister for Local Government and Housing Datuk Seri Dr Sim Kui Hian, who is leading a taskforce in the Covid-19 fight, said their views have provided much needed reassurance to Sarawak.
“We are very grateful for the reciprocrated friendship, sincerity in sharing with us what they have learnt in the frontline in China,” he told a press conference on the Covid-19 situation in the state today.
The Chinese medical experts, he informed, had spent eight-hours teleconferencing with four different groups in the healthcare frontline of Sarawak comprising of the private practitioners, Covid-19 treatment hospitals, researchers and traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) practitioners.
Two specialists have also visited the Sarawak General Hospital (SGH).
The Chinese team from Guangdong province of China have also contributed personal protective equipment (PPE) to Sarawak to assist and protect frontline health workers in combating the virus.
On a question about incubation period of the coronavirus, Dr Sim did not deny that there were patients who took more than the normal 14 days after exposure to Covid-19 to develop symptoms.
“Actually it is very difficult to say how long it is (incubation period) as this is a new virus of only five months old and everyone is still studying about it.
“But what we noticed is that older people develop the symptoms earlier compared to younger people with stronger immune system. And following the advice from experts, we decided to test swab young people like students on day 7 or 10 as most people exposed to the virus would have shown symptoms,” he explained.
As for how long the virus will live in thr patient, Dr Sim said it could be up to two weeks but some people could take longer to shed the virus after symptom resolution, including patients who have mild symptoms.
“So these patients will be isolated until tested negative because if they go out while shedding the virus, it can be passed to somebody else. So nobody know the exact period as it is different for patients. But we are being very careful so swab tests are performed quite a number of times,” he added.—DayakDaily
end with photo:
Dr Sim fielding questions from the media.
