Parys Hospital and Covid-19: What you should know

Coronaviruses are a group of viruses belonging to the family of Coronaviridae. A new coronavirus that had not previously been identified in humans emerged among the people in Wuhan, China in December 2019.
Of the individuals who are sympto- m-atic, 80 per cent develop mild disease, 15 per cent develop severe illness, e.g. dyspnea (shortness of breath) and five per cent become critically ill (with respiratory failure, septic shock and multi-organ failure).
Common symptoms include fever (38 degrees and upwards), dry cough, fatigue, shortness of breath, sore throat and a headache.
The known routes of transmission include respiratory droplets when coughing or sneezing or respiratory droplets landing on environmental surfaces surrounding the infected person. It is, therefore, important to wear a mask (N95 mask or surgical mask) to avoid spreading the virus, washing or sanitising hands, cleaning surfaces as often as possible, keeping a social distance of
1.5 m and avoid touching the face.
At Parys District Hospital, strict infection prevention and control guide- lines have been implemented to avoid spreading the virus in the hospital and possibly infecting already ill patients. At the moment, the Department of Health, including Parys District Hospital and surrounding clinics, is embarking on mass screening within the Free State for early detection of the virus.

Patients within the public sector:
If you suspect that you may have contracted the virus, please do not come to the hospital.
It is compulsory for the patient to wear a mask and gloves if possible and report at a testing site for further screening and testing.
The testing sites that have been identified to perform the coronavirus testing are Parys clinic, Schonkenville clinic, Thabang clinic, Vivian Mangwane clinic and Relebohile clinic (Vredefort).
Depending on the results of the test, the patient will be advised to self- isolate for 14 days.
Depending on the severity of the symptoms, they may be sent to a hospital or a quarantine site.
The response team will ultimately determine where the patient will be transferred to.
Patients on medical aid:
If the patient suspect that he or she has contracted the virus, it is important to wear a mask and gloves and make an appointment at a medical doctor for further testing.
The medical doctor will then advise the patient on the necessary route of treatment, e.g. self-isolation or specific hospital transferral for medical care.
Please contact the corona response team on 0800 029 999 if you suspect that you may have Covid-19.