On 31 December 2019, the World Health Organization (WHO) reported a cluster of pneumonia cases in Wuhan City, China. ‘Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2’ (SARS-CoV-2) was confirmed as the causative agent of what we now know as ‘Coronavirus Disease 2019’ (COVID-19). Since then, the virus has spread to more than 100 countries, including South Africa.

• Fever (a temperature of 38°C or higher)
• ongoing coughing and sore throat
• fatigue
• difficulty breathing
• ongoing diarrhoea
• ongoing vomiting
• skin rash
• bruising or bleeding without injury
• looking obviously unwell
• confusion.

The virus is most likely to spread from person to person through:

• direct contact with a person while they are infectious
• contact with droplets when a person with a confirmed infection coughs or sneezes
• touching objects or surfaces that were contaminated by droplets (like those from a cough or sneeze) from a person with a confirmed infection and then touching your mouth or face.

The length of time that a person is infectious (that is, can spread the infection to others) is not yet known. However, there is evidence of people without any symptoms or with minimal symptoms transmitting the infection to others. It is therefore likely that a person can spread the infection from before the time they first develop symptoms until up to 48 hours after symptoms stop.

Therefore, the Ministry of Health is currently recommending an isolation period of 14 days for people who have been overseas and for anyone who has been in contact with a confirmed case.

Some people who are infected may not get sick at all, some will get mild symptoms from which they will recover easily and others may become very ill, very quickly.

From previous experience with other coronaviruses, the people at highest risk of serious infection are:

• people with compromised immune systems
• elderly people
• pregnant women
• very young children and babies
• people with diagnosed heart and lung conditions.

If you have been overseas or had contact with a confirmed case, you should isolate yourself for 14 days.

If you go on to develop symptoms:

• immediately isolate yourself from others in your home
• seek medical advice by first phoning Healthline’s dedicated COVID-19 number (see below) or contacting your GP or emergency health centre by phoning ahead of your visit
• when you get to the doctor’s clinic or hospital, tell them again that you may have COVID-19 infection
• as soon as possible, please call your employer and or family to notify them that you have developed symptoms and will be tested for COVID-19.

If you have serious symptoms such as difficulty breathing:

• call for an ambulance
• tell the ambulance officers that you may have COVID-19 infection.

Your doctor will consider testing you for COVID-19 and provide advice on your care. You may also be contacted by public health officers who will provide you with more information.

Practising good hand hygiene and sneeze/cough hygiene is the best defence against most viruses. You should:

• wash your hands frequently with soap and water and dry them well, before and after eating and after going to the toilet
• avoid contact with others (touching, kissing, hugging and other intimate contact)
• cover coughs and sneezes with clean tissues or your elbow and dispose of tissues
• use alcohol-based hand sanitiser if you aren’t able to wash and dry your hands.

For the latest information in South Africa, please find alerts and updates here: 

• Coronavirus hotline in South Africa: 0800 02 9999
• National Institute of Communicable Diseases
• World Health Organisation
• https://sacoronavirus.co.za/

Please follow the below links to the following countries official sites:

https://www.ecdc.europa.eu/en/COVID-19/sources-updated