“Patients Need At Least 28 Days To Fully Recover”

How long should be the recovery period for patients with the Coronavirus disease?

When tested positive for Covid-19, whether you are asymptomatic or presenting symptoms, the individual has to spend 14 days of self isolation. This period of isolation could be in a hospital or an isolation home of the patients’ choice. During this period, the patient undergoes treatment depending on the protocol prescribed by the medical doctor in charge. Mild cases typically recover within two weeks, while those with severe or critical diseases may take three to six weeks to recover. After 14 days of treatment, the patient undergoes another Covid-19 test to know his/her status. If the control Covid-19 test is negative, the patient will have to observe at least another 14 days of isolation before gaining liberty to carryout his/her daily activities. Obtaining a negative test does not mean the patient is free to fully interact in the society. The patient still needs to undertake another 14 days of self isolation. But this time around he/she can wear a face mask while interacting with people. In total, most Covid-19 patients will need at least 28 days to fully recover.

After a negative control test for Covid-19, does the individual still need to do any Covid-19 test before resuming duty at his/her jobsite?

After 14 days of a negative Covid-19 test, the individual does not need to carry out another test before starting work. A third Covid-19 test is not needed. What that individual needs is a medical certificate from the company doctor to begin work. A third Covid-19 test should not be a prerequisite for the issuing of a medical certificate. The medical certificate is to show that after a positive Covid-19 test; the patient undertook treatment within 14 days and observed another 14 days of isolation after a control negative Covid-19 test. Carrying out a third Covid-19 test to proof that an individual is apt to start work is not necessary especially to patients who are asymptomatic. Company medical doctors need to continuously keep in touch with the team managing the Covid-19 pandemic at the Public Health Emergency Operations Centre in Yaounde to be informed on the right decision to take in handling post Covid-19 patients.

Which Covid-19 patients need to be hospitalised?

Most people (about 80 per cent) recover from the disease without needing special treatment, and for the majority-especially for children and young adu...