Speaker of the National Assembly Manzoor Nadir yesterday confirmed that he and three members of his family have tested positive for COVID-19.
With Nadir previously testing positive in September, his new positive test would mean he either had a false positive on the first occasion or had been re-infected, a rare occurrence globally.
When he previously tested positive, Nadir was asymptomatic but this time he exhibited symptoms, he said.
“Mrs. Nadir started feeling unwell on Christmas Day. Then my eight-year-old grandson started complaining that his throat was hurting. On Sunday night, I woke around 3am hot with fever, had a headache… and the 16-year-old seemed worse,” Nadir told Stabroek News.
The House Speaker said that while he was not sure it was COVID-19, he took the decision that Parliament be held virtually on Monday as he could not be too cautious.
The family decided that they would all be tested and of his five-member household, he said that the one person without any symptoms tested negative while all others tested positive.
He said that they have started to self-isolate and are adhering to all the COVID-19 guidelines.
Nadir is encouraging persons to get tested, especially if they feel unwell. “I would like to encourage people to get tested like we did. If you have any of the symptoms, self-isolate and you should go and get tested,” he stressed.
“And from the time you know you are unwell, ensure that you follow all the guidelines. People will have to continue to remain cautious because I believe COVID-19 is here to stay,” he said.
The Netherlands-based BNO News has compiled a tracker of confirmed cases of COVID-19 reinfection, which showed 31 confirmed cases and two deaths. It has also logged 2,290 suspected cases and 24 deaths.
“People with SARS-CoV-2, the virus which causes COVID-19, may continue to test positive for several months without being sick or infectious. A reinfection is confirmed when testing shows each virus’ genetic makeup is different to a degree which cannot be explained through in-vivo evolution,” it explained.