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Medical lab techs slam new health guidelines

02 Feb 2022

  • Claim they are ‘unscientific’ and hinder pandemic control
  • Take offence to reduction of isolation of 10 days to 7
  • Ask why triple vaccinated persons not quarantined despite association with patients
BY Buddhika Samaraweera Claiming that health guidelines issued by the Director General of Health Services (DGHS) Dr. Asela Gunawardena on 27 January, thereby amending the regulations on the isolation and quarantine of Covid-19 infected persons and their associates, were not based on any scientific study, the College of Medical Laboratory Science (CMLS) said that the same could be an obstacle to control the pandemic.  Speaking to The Morning yesterday (1), the CMLS President Ravi Kumudesh said that although it had previously been recommended that a Covid-19 infected person be isolated for at least 10 days, the 10 days period has now been reduced to seven days through guidelines issued on 27 January. “Dr. Gunawardena has issued these guidelines without carrying out any scientific study. For example, Covid-19 infected patients have previously been required to remain in isolation for 10 days, but this period has now been reduced to seven days. As a result, infected people who can transmit the disease are being sent to the society. It could be an obstacle to control the pandemic,” he said. Given the said guidelines, Kumudesh said that health workers infected with Covid-19 should report to work after seven days, which could greatly increase the spread of Covid-19 amongst health workers. He added that it would be an obstacle in the future to maintain the health services and the capacity of the hospitals and other treatment centres. “Studying a decision like this as per the scientific practice can only take up to half a day. Against such a backdrop, it is unacceptable for the guidelines to be amended in this manner. Therefore, we request the Health Ministry to allow us to test and report on two infected samples that have completed 10 days and seven days of isolation, respectively.” He also said that the guideline issued on 27 January that a person who has received all three doses of Covid-19 vaccines would not have to be quarantined even if they are associates of a Covid-19 infected person, should be studied further. He said that there was a risk of the spread of Covid-19 in the society by releasing such persons to the society. Dr. Gunawardena was not available for comment. The health guidelines issued by Dr. Gunawardena with regard to the exit strategy for the Covid-19 infected and their contacts stated that if a Covid-19 infected person has improved from mild or moderate symptoms and fever for 48 hours without antipyretics, such patients can be released from isolation after seven days from the date of the positive rapid antigen test (RAT) or polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test. According to the guidelines, such patients are not required to undergo an exit RAT or PCR test. It also stated that the close associates of the Covid-19 infected who do not show any Covid-19 symptom, are not required to remain in quarantine if they have obtained all three doses of the Covid-19 vaccines.

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