Daily statements from employees about Covid-19 symptoms are pointless

SARAJEVO, (Patria) – The University of Sarajevo, on July 16, based on the order of the Crisis Staff of the Federal Ministry of Health and the Crisis Staff of the KS Ministry of Health, adopted information about the organization of work of UNSA organizational units in the circumstances of preventing and stopping the spread of coronavirus. 

In accordance with these orders, it was necessary to provide a survey form or a statement that the employee has not been in contact with an infected person and does not come from a high-risk country.

Organizational units are obliged to submit all information and notices related to possible changes in circumstances regarding the prevention and protection against the spread of the virus in organizational units to the University Rectorate. 

This practice of filling out statements for faculty employees is still in effect and is carried out daily. However, the question arises about the justification of daily signing of the statement, i.e., what is the purpose of these statements for employees who come to work every day. The vast majority of work collectives have introduced a system of temperature measurement upon arrival at work and mandatory disinfection, while survey forms or statements are signed exclusively by visitors or guests. 

The recommendations of the KS Public Health Institute clearly stipulate that employees who develop symptoms should not come to work. 

“They are obliged to immediately contact the competent doctor by phone and report the symptoms. Also, the person should inform all their private and official close contacts who were without a mask, at a distance of less than 1 meter and for longer than 15 minutes, that they have tested positive for SARSCoV2 virus. An infected person becomes infectious 2 days before the onset of symptoms or, in the case of asymptomatic Covid-positive individuals, two days before the date of sampling for the rtPCR test,” the recommendations state. 

One of the ways to combat the spread of coronavirus is the personal responsibility of each individual towards their own and others' health. It is expected that an employee who has symptoms of Covid-19 or a severe cold with similar symptoms does not come to work or to the work collective. 

Instead of signing statements for which a large amount of paper is used, and which may not be conclusive as there are also asymptomatic cases, it is necessary to strengthen self-protection measures (protective mask, gloves as needed, disinfection, and proper distance of 2 meters).