160 cases recovered in six days
NASSAU, BAHAMAS – After weeks of isolation and quarantine, some individuals have been cleared for reentry to the public even as they retest positive for COVID-19.
One positive COVID-19 patient, who spoke to Eyewitness News under the condition of anonymity, explained that he received a discharge letter from the Ministry of Health after several days of having no symptoms.
He noted, however, that he was not retested a second time.
Feeling uneasy about the matter, the man said he decided to get tested privately.
His results came back positive, he said.
Another positive case, who asked not to be named, said she tested positive for the virus last month and had been placed in isolation after experiencing mild symptoms.
She told Eyewitness News that she was tested a second time after days of no symptoms.
Notwithstanding the positive diagnosis, she claims she was still given the all-clear by health officials.
The number of recovered COVID-19 cases saw a significant increase over the past week, with 160 cases reported recovered as of Saturday.
The Ministry of Health explained in its Friday update that there are two ways a person infected with COVID-19 can be declared recovered: laboratory-based, with a negative RT-PCR test; and an absence of clinical signs and symptoms of COVID-19.
The statement pointed to the World Health Organization’s updated criteria in May, utilized to confirm recovery of a person with COVID-19 and outline discharge from isolation.
The latest recommendations by WHO advises that patients whose symptoms have resolved may still test positive for COVID-19 (SARS-CoV-2) by RT-PCR test for many weeks.
However, despite this positive test result, these patients are not likely to be infectious and unlikely to transmit the virus to another person, the statement said.
The ministry noted that this criterion applies to all COVID-19 cases regardless of isolation location or disease severity.
It further advised that individuals with symptoms will be considered recovered 10 days after symptom onset with at least three recurring days without symptoms – including fever and respiratory symptoms.
Individuals who are asymptomatic or without symptoms will be considered recovered 10 days after a positive test for the virus.
The statement said some people will require testing to be considered recovered and return to work.
These individuals include anyone at high risk of transmitting the virus to vulnerable groups; or those in high-risk situations or environments – such as health care workers or caretakers in residential nursing homes.
“In such situations, and for persons who are symptomatic for prolonged periods, a laboratory-based approach is best,” the statement said.
“It is recommended that once the Ministry of Health has cleared a person from quarantine or isolation, no further testing is required for them to attend work.”
“An employee will be issued a letter advising of their suitability to return to work,” it read.
The ministry stressed that a person does not have the legal right to request the medical records of a patient without their written consent, and an employer does not have the right to demand to see the results of an employee’s COVID-19 test without the employee’s expressed written consent.
However, the employer can request a letter from the Ministry of Health that verifies the employee has been cleared to return to work.
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