During the early stage of the pandemic, COVID-19 testing was once everyone’s concern.
Priority has since shifted to the vaccination programme with the rollout of the COVID-19 vaccines and booster doses
in Malaysia.
But what exactly is the role of COVID-19 testing now that there’s a vaccine and who should get tested?
The role of COVID-19 testing
Now that there are numerous vaccines for COVID-19, what is the role that testing plays?
Vaccinated or not,
you can still get COVID-19. Thus, testing is still needed.
While vaccination does protect you from getting severely ill with COVID-19, some people who are fully vaccinated
against COVID-19 do still get sick because no vaccine is 100% effective in preventing COVID-19 infection.
Should you display any COVID-19 symptoms, it is important that you get tested to find out if you are ill and to get
the proper treatment.
Testing helps to stop transmission of COVID-19 - it saves lives.
The role of testing is to identify if you have COVID-19 so that you can get the healthcare attention you need. In
addition, knowing that you are tested positive for COVID-19 will allow you to take necessary measures such as home
quarantine (for Category
1 and Category 2) to stop transmission of the disease.
If you are tested positive, it is advisable to inform those whom you came in contact with so that they can get tested
too. By practicing these measures with the help of testing, you are saving lives.
COVID testing informs
policymakers.
An additional benefit of testing is that it helps to give policymakers and healthcare providers a better idea of how
the pandemic is going. Testing tells us the number of new cases in Malaysia, where they are occurring, the rate of
transmission, and more.
Ultimately, this data helps policymakers plan for the future and gives healthcare workers time to provide an adequate
response to the pandemic.
When should you get a COVID-19 test?
Not everyone needs to get tested; however, there are clear cases when you should get tested.
- Get tested immediately if you are showing COVID-19 symptoms.
Most
common symptoms:
- Fever
- Dry cough
- Tiredness
- Loss of taste or smell
Less common symptoms:
- Sore throat
- Headache
- Rash on skin
- Aches and pains
- Diarrhoea
Serious symptoms:
- Difficulty breathing or shortness of breath
- Chest pain or pressure
- Loss of speech or mobility
- If you know someone who is confirmed to have COVID-19 and you have been in close contact with them, you should
also get tested. Closed contacts of confirmed case were those as below:
- People living in the same household; colleagues working together in the same workspace; classmates in
the same classroom environment with a positive COVID-19 case
- Living in the same household as a COVID-19 patient
- Having face-to-face contact with a positive COVID-19 case for more than 15 minutes, less than 1 meter
apart, and in an enclosed area
- Being present in an air-conditioned room for more than 2 hours with a positive COVID-19 case although
there is no face-to-face contact
- Travelling in the same vehicle (1 or 2 seats apart) with a positive COVID-19 case for more than 15
minutes
- If you are unvaccinated and have recently taken part in activities that put you at risk of contracting COVID-19,
such as travelling or gathering in public, get tested to be safe. At this point, please complete your primary
vaccination and booster
dose as immunisation remains the best way to reduce your risk of severe illness, hospitalisation, and death from
COVID-19.
Get tested and save lives with Gleneagles Hospital
If you’re wondering “Where is there COVID testing near me?”, look for the nearest Gleneagles
Hospital to you. As part of our commitment to better serve the community, Gleneagles Hospitals are providing
COVID-19 Drive-Thru Screening Services.
Alternatively, on-site screenings services for individuals and companies at their own premise is also available from
selected hospitals.
For more information on COVID-19 testing at Gleneagles Hospital or to schedule an appointment, get in touch with us today.
Resources:
- COVID-19 Vaccines are Effective. Accessed on January 5, 2022 from https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/effectiveness.html
- COVID-19 Testing: What You Need to Know. Accessed on January 5, 2022 from https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/symptoms-testing/testing.html
- Management of Closed Contacts of Confirmed Case. Accessed on January 5, 2022 from https://covid-19.moh.gov.my/garis-panduan/garis-panduan-kkm/ANNEX_12_Management_of_Close_Contacts_of_Confirmed_Case_30082021.pdf
