Health official explains school procedures for Covid-positive cases

Dr Jameela al-Ajmi

Dr Jameela al-Ajmi, senior consultant (infectious diseases) and executive director of the Infection Control Department at Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC), has said the authorities concerned are monitoring the situation in schools where certain procedures and protocols are to be followed in case of any suspected case of Covid-19. Speaking to Qatar TV recently, she said school administrations, in co-ordination with the surveillance teams of the Ministry of Public Health (MoPH), will count the number of people in contact with the infected case, whether they are students, teachers or employees. "At the same time, parents will be informed about the existence of the infected case and the procedures carried out by the school while maintaining privacy. The rapid testing protocol is applied to them weekly, and they are prevented from entering school until the result of the examination is negative, and they must also be examined daily to ensure that there is no high temperature or symptoms of Covid-19,” she said. Vaccinated people, as well as those who have been infected in the past three months and currently do not show symptoms of Covid-19, are excluded from quarantine if they come in contact with a positive case. They have to undergo an RT-PCR examination on the third day after coming in contact with a positive case, according to Dr al-Ajmi. People who have not yet received the vaccination for some reason are to be quarantined for a period of 14 days, and RT-PCR examination will be done immediately after contact and on the seventh day. Besides, there will be continuous follow-up by the MoPH, she added. The HMC official added that 94% of teaching and administrative staff in schools have received Covid-19 vaccination.