KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 10 — A reporter with a Sarawak newspaper has been placed under home quarantine on fears she might have contracted the 2019 novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV).
The Borneo Post reported Suara Sarawak’s Aina Azizah Yeo as saying she’s been feeling unwell since coming into contact with five Chinese nationals at a shopping complex in Kuching in mid-January.
“The ordeal started after I visited a clinic in Kota Sentosa on Thursday (February 6) for health inspection, especially as I was having flu and cough for the past few days,” she was quoted as saying.
The 24-year-old said she decided to undergo a health check after coming across a counter conducting free coronavirus screenings at the clinic.
During the process, she was asked detailed questions by the personnel about her health status and whereabouts.
Upon discovering she had come into contact with Chinese nationals, Aina was immediately brought to a scanning centre where the protocol was explained to her. She was then transported to Sarawak General Hospital and placed in an isolation ward.
“It was my first time being transported in an ambulance with everyone around me wearing Hazmat suits. The entire cabin of the ambulance was covered in plastic including the seats,” she said.
Aina will be quarantined until the results of her swab test samples, which have been sent to KL for analysis and examination, are determined. This could take up to 12 days.
She was allowed to leave the isolation ward the following day (February 7) and is currently quarantined at home along with her family for the mandatory period of two weeks.
