What to do if...
GUIDELINES TO IRMCT STAFF ON WHAT TO DO IN A NUMBER OF COVID-19 SCENARIOS
Issued by the COVID-19 Steering Committee - 28 April 2022
CONTENTS
Scenario 1: What to do if you have tested positive
Scenario 2: What to do if someone in your household has tested positive
DEFINITIONS
COVID-19 symptoms: There is no standard definition of COVID-19 symptoms, as medical insights develop and not all symptoms may appear to the same extent in each individual. Moreover, not all COVID-19 symptoms may trigger the need to quarantine. Depending on the situation, the Mechanism Medical Units currently includes the following symptoms to its clinical assessment;1
- Fever;
- (Dry) Cough;
- Runny nose, nasal congestion, and/or sneezing;
- Sore throat;
- Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing;
- Sudden loss of smell or taste; and/or
- Fatigue, weight loss or loss of appetite, red, sore or inflamed eyes, skin rash, aches and pains, dizziness, irritability or confusion, abdominal pain, vomiting, or diarrhea not otherwise explained.
It will be for the Medical Unit to make any relevant assessment of a staff member’s symptoms and to advise staff accordingly.
Quarantine: A restriction of activities of or the separation of persons who are not ill but who may have been exposed to an infectious agent or disease, with the objective of monitoring their symptoms, ensuring the early detection of cases and avoiding further potential infections. Quarantine is a preventative measure that applies under certain circumstances (e.g. following travel from an orange or red country, or after you were in contact with a confirmed or probable COVID-19 case) when you are asymptomatic. During the period of quarantine, you must work from home (unless on annual or other leave), and shall not engage in Mechanism-paid travel. In addition, you should be aware of and follow national quarantine requirements. In the Netherlands, whose guidelines the Mechanism references for quarantine matters, these are the following:
- You must work from home;
- You may not use public transport;
- Have someone else do your shopping for you. If this is not an option, you are allowed to go outside briefly to buy groceries. This is only allowed if you do not have any symptoms. The SU Cares team may be able to assist’
- Stay 1.5 meters away from others and do not touch anyone;
- You are not allowed to receive any visitors, except for medical reasons (e.g. your GP); and
- Only people who live with you are allowed to be in your house. You should keep distance from your household members as much as possible. That means no intimate physical contact (no hugging, kissing, or sexual intercourse).
Isolation: The separation of ill or infected persons from others to prevent the spread of infection or contamination. Isolation applies when you are symptomatic and/or have tested positive. In addition to the quarantine restrictions, you must stay home and isolate yourself from those in your household to the greatest extent possible.
Incubation time: The period between the moment that you become infected and when you develop symptoms. The incubation period for the coronavirus is between 2 and 14 days with the large majority of cases developing symptoms by day 10. The incubation time guides national quarantine requirements.
Period of infectivity or the contagious period: The period during which you might be, or have been, contagious. This is defined as 2 days prior to the onset of symptoms or positive test, whichever was first, until 48 hours after being fever-free and 24 hours after cessation of other symptoms (with the exception of loss of taste and smell), and at least 7 days since the onset of symptoms or since a positive test result, whichever was first.
Household (members of): The persons which whom you live and with whom you have had contact within 1.5m, whether they are family or other persons with whom you share a place of living (e.g., domestic staff).
Close contact: Someone whom you have been within 1.5m of for a period of at least 15 minutes, or with whom you have had direct physical contact with a high risk of infection transmission, such as coughing in the face, kissing, or performing certain medical procedures, even if for a briefer period than 15 minutes.
Other contact: Someone whom you have been near, but at greater distance and/or for less than 15 minutes and/or with use of personal protection equipment.
COVID-19 Test: For the purpose of these Guidelines, COVID-19 tests means PCR (polymerase chain reaction).
Fully Vaccinated: People are considered fully vaccinated 2 weeks after their second dose in a 2-dose series or 2 weeks after a single-dose vaccine. People are considered not fully vaccinated if they have not completed vaccination, cannot be vaccinated, or are not eligible for vaccination, including children.
Recovered from COVID-19: People who have had previous COVID-19 infection as confirmed by PCR test with 6 months, no longer infectious and released from isolation.
CONTACT DETAILS
Medical Unit The Hague: medicalunit@un.org, +31-70-512-5071
Medical Unit Arusha: mictmedicalunitarusha@un.org, +255-27-256-5339
SSS Control Centre The Hague: +31-70-512-5200
SSS Control Centre Arusha: +255-27-256-5200, +255-784400859
SU Cares Team The Hague:
Centrum: David Rowntree, 06-53541558
Kijkduin: Leslie Hermer, 06-53274272
Sweelinckplein/Duinoord: Greg Shankman, 06-38085870
Vogelwijk: Roman Bouwknecht, 06-28562408
Zeeheldenkwartier/Statenkwartier: Sarah Bentefrit, 06-18920083
Rotterdam Centrum: Helene Quiniou, 06-24560604
SU Cares Team Arusha:
Njiro, Kijenge, Nane Nane: Ishumael Zinyengere, 0757223129
Moshono, Sakina: Ahmed Mutagubya, 0752224700
Mataves, Agha Khan, Burka, Kisongo: Gloria Otieno, 0754881009
SU Cares Team Kigali:
Kagugu, Gacuriro: Bram vd Eerden, 0787598637
GENERAL NOTE
The steps included in the scenarios below present the minimum measures to be taken. In cases where national law or administrative measures impose stricter conditions, these will be followed. Where Mechanism and national guidelines are absent or silent on a specific issue, current measures implemented in the Netherlands apply. Staff should be aware of the national conditions in relation to each scenario. Staff are advised that COVID-19 safety measures may be enhanced compared to the risk profile recommended by the host nation. The Mechanism may implement additional measures above and beyond local authorities.
SCENARIO 1: WHAT TO DO IF YOU HAVE TESTED POSITIVE
If you have tested positive for COVID-19:
- As soon as possible, contact the Medical Unit by email or phone. Outside of working hours, contact Security. You are encouraged to also inform your supervisor;
- You are strongly encouraged to take precautions to avoid infecting others;
- You must not enter Mechanism premises;
- Report the positive test result in EarthMed, at medical.un.org/earthmed portal, using your Unite ID login; and
- Update the Medical Unit, by email, at a minimum on a weekly basis with a status update of your symptoms, as well as once you have been symptom-free (with the exception of loss of smell and/or taste) for 24 hours.
These requirements apply until otherwise decided by the Medical Unit.
SCENARIO 2: WHAT TO DO IF SOMEONE IN YOUR HOUSEHOLD HAS TESTED POSITIVE
If someone in your household tests positive:
- As soon as possible, contact the Medical Unit by email. You are encouraged to also inform your supervisor;
- You and your household member are strongly encouraged to take precautions to avoid infecting others;;
- You must not enter Mechanism premises
- Carefully monitor your health and potential onset of symptoms, keeping a daily log of temperature and other indicators of COVID-19 symptoms;
- Report the positive test result in EarthMed, at medical.un.org/earthmed portal, using your Unite ID login; and
- Obtain testing for yourself (recommended)
These requirements apply until otherwise decided by the Medical Unit.