An ICT business in Nigeria has developed a useful test people can use to assess their risk of getting infected by coronavirus (COVID-19) at a time where growing concerns have been raised about the availability of testing resources in affected countries.
COVID-19 test in SA: Labs are being tested to their limits
So far, South African laboratories and hospitals have conducted 35 593 tests related to COVID-19. From this sample, 1 280 have tested positive.
One of the crucial measures in the fight to contain the spread of COVID-19 is ramping up the process of testing citizens and shortening the turnaround time for results.
In a recent News 24 report, Dr Marvin Hsiao from the National Health Laboratory Service indicated, with concern, that laboratories in the Western Cape — the second worst-hit province in South Africa — are already functioning at the limits of their capacity.
Testing is the surest way to flattening the curve
The worst has yet to come for South Africa and with the implementation of the 21-day nationwide lockdown, the country has an opportunity to skirt COVD-19’s wrath that is being felt in places like Italy, Spain and the United States (US).
For us to stand a chance in defeating this virus, testing has to be ramped up and cover a wider net so that preventative treatments and interventions can be taken as early as possible.
This self-diagnosis quiz could fast-track COVID-19 discoveries
Thanks to Fourthman Concepts, the Nigerian ICT company, this virtual self-diagnosis test can help us meet the health ministry’s efforts halfway.
The online test contains 11 questions to assess whether you’re symptomatic. It collects this data and in the end, calculates your level of risk to COVID-19 infection.
It is in no way a medical diagnosis. Instead, it is a useful guideline that utilises information from the World Health Organisation (WHO) to assess your symptoms.
This can come in handy for when you feel unsure about your health condition in the midst of this outbreak.
