Information about COVID-19 disease caused by SARS-CoV-2 virus


WHAT: Coronavirus is a novel strain of viruses, not previously identified in humans. World Health Organisation (WHO) named it SARS-CoV-2, and the disease it causes COVID-19. It was discovered in China at the end of 2019.

 

According to information available, coronavirus infection most often causes symptoms such as fever, dry cough, shortness of breath, and sudden loss of taste and/or smell or changes in taste, while less frequent symptoms include body aches, headache, fatigue, and vomiting.

 

A person experiencing at least one of these symptoms is advised to contact their family doctor or their designated COVID clinic. In order to avoid the worst possible outcome and medical complications, it is important to notice the symptoms on time and get in touch with medical experts. Please do not go to see your doctor without calling first!

 

It is important to follow the key epidemiological recommendations to avoid coronavirus infection – practice physical distancing, avoid large gatherings, wear face masks and maintain proper hygiene.

 

INSTRUCTIONS FOR PERSONS WHO TESTED POSITIVE FOR COVID-19 AND FOR CLOSE CONTACTS OF AN INFECTED PERSON:

If you have tested positive for COVID-19:

  • Stay home and physically isolate yourself from others in your home.
  • Notify your family doctor by phone or e-mail (e. g. in case phone lines are busy, it is a weekend and your doctor is not in his office, etc.). Your doctor will provide you with instructions about isolation and, if necessary, grant sick leave.
  • If you work in healthcare or social care system (nursing homes), immediately notify your employer or the COVID-19 team in the institution in which you work, which will then contact the epidemiologist designated for your area, who will decide on the need for further actions within your work institution.
  • Stay isolated for 10 days. Date of illness onset is considered as day 0, and the second day of illness is considered as the first day of isolation. After 10 days, the person is no longer contagious and does not have to get tested again for COVID-19 (exceptions are severe clinical forms of COVID-19 and immunocompromised patients).
  • Notify your close contacts about your disease, i.e., about testing positive for COVID-19 and instruct them to contact their family doctors regarding quarantine (self-isolation). They should be quarantined for 10 days since last being in physical contact with you. For example, if you were in contact with a person on 5 October, then they need to be quarantined until 15 October, and on 16 October they are free to continue with their regular everyday activities (work, school, etc.), provided they don’t develop any symptoms of the disease during quarantine.
  • Close contacts are all the people you have been in contact with 48 hours before the appearance of the first symptoms (or before taking a swab in case you do not have any symptoms, but still test positive for SARS-CoV-2) until the beginning of your isolation.
  • Prepare a list of close contacts which you will send to your designated epidemiological service (preferably by e-mail) if necessary.

If a person infected with COVID-19 notifies you that you are a close contact:

  • Stay home and physically isolate yourself from others in your home.
  • Notify your family doctor by phone or e-mail (e. g. in case phone lines are busy, it is a weekend and your doctor is not in his office, etc.)
  • Your family doctor will take the basic information on the person infected with COVID-19 who listed you as a close contact for verification (by reviewing the electronic database or directly contacting an epidemiologist) and, if necessary, grant you sick leave.
  • Stay quarantined (self-isolated) for 10 since your last contact with an infected person. The day you were last in contact is considered as day 0, and the following day is the first day of quarantine. For example, if you were in contact with an infected person on 5 October, then the last day of quarantine is 15 October, and on 16 October you are free to continue with your regular everyday activities (work, school, etc.) provided you don’t develop any symptoms of the disease during quarantine/self-isolation.
  • If you work in healthcare or social care system (nursing homes), immediately notify your employer, or the COVID-19 team in the institution in which you work, about the fact that you have been in contact with an infectious person and that you have to be quarantined for 10 days.

More information about COVID-19 disease caused by SARS-CoV-2 virus i necessary epidemiological measures can be found at: https://www.koronavirus.hr/