ABERDEEN NEWS - During the weekend, teams from Aberdeen Hospital went to various local churches to raise Covid-19 awareness. Information on how the virus is spread, the common symptoms and treatment was given.

The congregations were told about preventative measures, particularly for the elderly and those most at risk because of existing health problems.

Schools were visited before they closed, and meetings are due to be held with traffic department officials, SAPS members and municipal employees.

In an interview with the Advertiser, hospital CEO Patiswa Rilityana-Pietersen, gave detailed instructions for the general community to follow, should they have any concerns about their health.

There are three main instances when people should contact the hospital:

• Symptoms of a fever, dry cough, difficulty breathing or sore throat
• Contact with a person confirmed to have the virus
• Recent arrival from a high-risk country with a large number of infections - Italy, Iran, South Korea, Spain, Germany, the United States of America, the United Kingdom and China (as of last Wednesday).

Hospital personnel will visit the person in their own home, screen with an infra-red thermometer for temperature, and ask questions about risk factors. Should testing be required, Midland Hospital transport will bring a testing kit, and return the samples to their laboratory. 

The patient will be asked to stay at home for two weeks in self-isolation, even if they test negative.

"If the person does not have airtime to phone the hospital, they can call either the police on 10111 or general emergency number 112 and request health services, giving their name, address and phone number," explained Rilityana-Pietersen.

Visiting hours at the hospital have been restricted to once a day, from 5pm till 6pm, with only one visitor per patient allowed at a time.

The hospital will continue to assess the situation, and may change this to two shorter periods at different times of day, or even ban visitors if they feel it is necessary for general safety. Special arrangements will be made for patients who are in a critical condition.

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