COVID-19

Also called SARS-CoV-2, Coronavirus

Notification class
Class 1 notifiable eventHealth care providers report it immediately on suspicion to the Medical Officer of Health at their parish health department, or to the National Surveillance Unit, within 24 hours of contact.
Category
Zoonotic diseases

Case definition

Acute onset of fever AND cough (ILI) OR acute onset of three or more of the following signs or symptoms: fever, cough, generalized weakness/fatigue, headache, myalgia, sore throat, coryza, dyspnea, nausea/diarrhea/anorexia.

Specimen

Nasopharyngeal swab OR combined nasopharyngeal and oropharyngeal swabs (nylon, Dacron, or polyester flocked swabs) in viral transport medium on ice.

Laboratory

National Public Health Lab

Timeline for investigation

48 hours

Source: National Surveillance Manual

How it’s monitored

The weekly bulletin gives cases confirmed by PCR or antigen test, deaths, and test positivity, the share of samples testing positive, which sets the level of transmission.

The figures

The National Surveillance Unit publishes the latest figures every week.

For health professionals