This quarantine needs to be done for at least five days
Jakarta (ANTARA) - Government Spokesperson for COVID-19 Handling Reisa Broto Asmoro has recommended a five-day quarantine for people coming in close contact with COVID-19 patients.

"This quarantine needs to be done for at least five days. For example, yesterday (you had close contact), don't be in a rush to get tested. Get quarantined first," she advised during a virtual talk on Friday (Aug 27) night.

After the fifth day, people must get tested to see if they have been infected or not, she said.

"If the result comes out negative, repeat it again in three days," Asmoro said.

Quarantine is advisable for people who have come in close contact with COVID-19 patients but have yet to be confirmed positive, she stated. If they test positive after the quarantine period, they must undertake isolation.

To determine the type of isolation, they would need to consult a doctor, Asmoro said.

"So that the doctor determines whether you can self-isolate at home or must be isolated in the center by the government, or must be in a hospital," she elaborated.

Consulting a doctor is important because many people with COVID-19 decide to self-isolate if they feel alright, despite the possibility that the disease could get progressively worse, she said.

"The course of the disease is not necessarily the same a few days later as it is now. So after that, it must be followed with a more intensive treatment. So if it is positive (diagnosis), the person must also be treated and the (close people) must be traced to get the right treatment," she added.

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Translator: Fathur Rochman, Mecca Yumna
Editor: Sri Haryati
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