The Ministry of Health has accused Express of “misinformation” and flawed science over Dr. Laurie’s Covid case.

The Ministry of Health has accused the Trinidad Express edit of “misinformation” after criticizing the government for failing to test people who came into contact with Prime Minister Keith Rowley two weeks before the Covid-19 positive test. did.

An editorial published today states that the World Health Organization (WHO) describes the incubation period of Covid-19 as “the time between exposure to the virus and the onset of symptoms.” , Can take up to 14 days. During this period, also known as the presymptomatic period, some infected individuals can become infected.

Express argued that the virus could be transmitted up to 14 days before the onset of symptoms, so anyone who came into contact with the prime minister during that time should be tested.

“I knew Dr. Laurie was physically in Congress on March 26, 11 days before he showed symptoms, but that was within the 14-day presymptomatic period,” the editorial said. Parliamentarians, staff, and others who attended.

“Even if no one felt threatened, everyone should have been tested and the facility should have been evacuated for disinfection before work and parliamentary seats were resumed. But it also applies to groups of other people exposed to him during that period.

However, the Ministry of Health claimed that the Express editorial board was wrong in science. In its statement, the ministry said that there is a difference between the incubation period of a virus (the time it takes for someone to show symptoms) and the infection period (the time that someone can infect another person with the virus during the incubation period). Said there is.

According to the ministry’s announcement, “Science says that Covid-19 infections only begin to spread from one person to another two days before the onset of symptoms, and editorials do not cover the entire incubation period. This biological fact guides the contact tracing protocols currently in place around the world, in line with the guidance of the World Health Organization (WHO).

The ministry further said that contact tracing protocols are associated with the duration of infection of the disease, in this case two days before symptoms appear.

‘Especially for Covid-19, the presymptomatic infection period is defined and accepted by the WHO and the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) as 2 days before the onset of symptoms. This is both the WHO and CDC websites, “said the release.

WHO’s February 2021 guidelines for contact tracing state that:

“Exposure to symptomatological cases: 2 and 10 days before the onset of the case, at least 3 days without symptoms (including those without fever and respiratory symptoms), and a total of at least 13 days after the onset of symptoms.”

The full press release of the Ministry of Health is as follows:

The Ministry of Health has raised concerns that the false information reported in today’s Express newspaper editorial is related to the contact tracing protocol for Covid-19-positive cases. Unfortunately, this article is based on false assumptions that are not scientifically accurate, so the conclusions are flawed.

The ministry provides here with a clarification of the science that forms the basis of the national contact tracing protocol.

Individuals can become infected with the virus and it can take several days for symptoms to appear – the incubation period.

During the incubation period, a person may begin to infect others a few days before symptoms begin to appear – the period of infection or transmission.

There is a clear difference between the incubation period of COVID-19 and the period during which someone is likely to infect the virus.

For Covid-19, it is documented that the incubation period can be extended up to 14 days.

According to science, Covid-19 infection only begins to spread from one person to another two days before the onset of symptoms, not the entire incubation period, as stated in the editorial. This biological fact guides the contact tracing protocols currently in force around the world, in line with the guidance of the World Health Organization (WHO).

The editorial inaccurately separates the science of infectious diseases from related contact tracing activities. It goes without saying that contact tracing protocols need to be closely linked to the duration of infection for any disease, including Covid-19.

Below is a formal definition of the duration of the problem and a reference for contact tracing guidance.

The Last’s Dictionary of Epidemiology1 defines the incubation period for infectious diseases as follows: The time interval from invasion by an infectious agent to the appearance of the first signs or symptoms of the disease in question.

For COVID-19, the incubation period is 2-14 days.

The Last’s Dictionary of Epidemiology defines the duration of transmission of an infectious disease as follows: Time when an infectious agent can travel directly or indirectly from an infected person to another …

Some diseases, such as measles, flu, and chickenpox, can be transmitted during the period before symptoms appear (the period before onset).This period varies from illness to illness

Especially for COVID-19, the presymptomatic infection period is defined and accepted by WHO and the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) as 2 days before the onset of symptoms. This is a fact that guides the contact tracing guidance created by both. WHO and CDC websites (see links and excerpts below)

CDC Guidance on Contact Withdrawals: https: //www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/php/contact-tracing/contact-tracing-plan/investigating-covid-19-case.html#anchor_15900

“… Determining the contact-inducing window: When interviewing a symptomatic client, the case investigator must provoke all intimate contact from 2 days before the onset of symptoms to the onset of quarantine …”

WHO Guidance on Contact Withdrawals: https: //www.who.int/publications/i/item/contact-tracing-in-the-context-of-covid-19

“… Exposure occurs during the period of infection of the case and must be defined as: Exposure to symptomatological cases. [between] 2 days and 10 days after the onset of the case … “

It is hoped that this information addresses the misconceptions about this issue. The Ministry of Health will continue to receive scientific guidance to protect the health of the people of Trinidad and Tobago.