HCMC – Most of the Covid-19 cases detected at concentrated quarantine facilities in HCMC had already contracted the virus earlier and did not get it from the others in the facilities, said a representative of the municipal Center for Disease Control (HCDC).
According to HCDC, as of June 27, more than 1,800 Covid-19 cases were found at quarantine centers in the city, with nearly 1,100 testing positive after their first tests, making up 55.8%, and 603 found to be infected with the coronavirus in their second tests, the local media reported.
In addition, 143 Covid-19 cases tested positive in their third tests, 53 in their fourth tests and eight in their fifth tests.
It can be instantly concluded that the 55.8% that tested positive in their first tests were infected by other Covid-19 patients outside the quarantine centers. As for those who tested positive in their second and third tests conducted after the fifth and 10th day of quarantine, respectively, they might have been in the incubation period when they were sent to the centralized quarantine centers.
The Covid-19 incubation period is 14 days, the HCDC representative said, adding that some cases had been found infected with the coronavirus on the 20th day of quarantine.
Up to 96.6% of the Covid-19 cases in centralized quarantine facilities have been detected in their first, second and third tests. The remaining 3.4% might have a longer incubation period or be infected with Covid-19 from their roommates in quarantine centers.
However, investigations showed that no cross infection was found.
According to HCDC, it is important to control those found infected with the virus in the first, second and third tests and prevent them from transmitting the virus to others.
A solution to minimize cross infection in concentrated quarantine centers is to choose venues in which each room has a toilet and two beds at most. The two beds must be at least two meters apart and separated by a partition.
The rooms should be airy and air conditioners should not be used. Moreover, quarantine centers must be disinfected twice a day and equipped with cameras to monitor those quarantined.
Therefore, hotels should be chosen instead of school dormitories.
HCMC has quarantined those in direct contact with Covid-19 cases for 21 days and taken their samples five times on the first, fifth, 10th, 15th and 20th days of quarantine.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Health asked quarantine centers to test quarantined people four times on the first, seventh, 14th and 20th quarantine days.
In addition, the city has conducted quick tests between the RT-PCR tests to detect Covid-19 cases at the earliest, said the HCDC representative.
