Be responsible, self-report after testing positive

The new Omicron subvariants, BA.4 and BA.5, are reportedly more contagious than the original Omicron strain. – 123rf.com

DESPITE testing positive for Covid-19, some people decide not to report their status on MySejahtera, even though it is required.

They may have their reasons, but currently, anyone who is infected must report themselves on the application, especially if they used self-tests at home.

Company executive Sam* chose not to report when he fell sick in Thailand. (*Names have been changed.)

He felt it would cause a lot of inconvenience to his movements because the positive MySejahtera status might remain even though he is already cleared of the virus.

When he was in Thailand for work recently, the dreaded two lines appeared on his Covid-19 test. He had no choice but to quarantine himself there before he could go back to Malaysia.

“I chose not to report myself because I was in a foreign country and spending my quarantine period there.

“I also wasn’t sure how long it would take for the MySejahtera status to change. I didn’t want it to disrupt my flight back home,” Sam, who is in his 30s, says.

Similarly, Adam*, a 36-year-old entrepreneur, agrees it could take some time for the status to be updated on the app even though the person is already negative.

“When I was down with Covid-19, I reported myself on the application.

“But to be honest, a part of me wished I hadn’t because I had to wait for an extra few days for the status to change before I could return to work.

“At that time, I had already reported my negative results,” says Adam.

He feels it is better for those with mild or no symptoms to monitor and manage themselves, but they should always be responsible and not break quarantine before testing negative.

Currently, Covid-19 positive cases must quarantine themselves for seven days from the day they receive the positive test result, regardless of vaccination status.

Such individuals also have the option to end quarantine earlier if their supervised RTK-Ag test result on the fourth day is negative.

This test can be done at the nearest health facility or virtually, says the Covid-19 Health Protocol on the Health Ministry’s website.

This RTK-Ag test can also be done on day five or six for the purpose of early release from quarantine. If the test is still positive, they must continue to be quarantined until day seven.

No other tests are needed after completion of quarantine, the website says.

Medical Practitioners Coalition Association of Malaysia president Dr Raj Kumar Maharajah concurs that many are reluctant to report their positive status because they don’t want to be restricted.

“But we have to inform people of the dangers of spreading the virus and advise them to report the truth,” he says.

We have to inform people of the dangers of spreading the virus and advise them to report the truth,says Dr Raj Kumar. – KK SHAM/The Star

Universiti Malaya epidemiologist Prof Datuk Dr Awang Bulgiba Mahmud says those who do not report their status may feel fine or have mild symptoms, so they do not think they are a danger to others but still remain a danger.

“It is also possible that their income may be affected as reporting themselves as being positive means they are unable to work.

“Unfortunately, if infected persons do not self-isolate, they can transmit the infection to other people who may be more vulnerable and prone to a severe form of the disease, like the elderly and immunocompromised,” he points out.

As such, he urges those who test positive to be responsible.

“They need to report their disease and self-isolate. The period for self-isolation now is much shorter too.

“People should still remember that under the Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases Act, Covid-19 is a notifiable disease, and infected persons are legally required to report their status and follow the necessary SOP,” he says.

If people do not report their positive status, cases may be spreading unnoticeably, leading to a sudden surge of cases, says Universiti Putra Malaysia epidemiologist Assoc Prof Dr Malina Osman.

This subsequently causes the prevention of the infection to be delayed, it may cause high fatalities and more admissions to the ward or intensive care units.

“Reporting to the ministry is also important to enable control measures to be done as soon as possible so that the spread can be curbed earlier,” she adds.