Compensation for Occupationally Acquired Novel Coronavirus Diseases

(COVID-19)

With the recent COVID-19 outbreak in South Africa, we have included guidelines to assist you on how to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic and the process of submitting a claim in accordance with Compensation of Injuries and Diseases Act, 130 of 1993 (COIDA).

Please take the time to familiarise yourself with the claim’s process and benefits associated with COVID-19 claims.

Diagnosis and acceptance of liability under COIDA

A diagnosis will be done based on the following Factors:

• Occupational exposure to a known source of COVID-19
• A reliable diagnosis of COVID-19 as per the WHO guidelines
• An approved official trip and travel history to countries and/or areas of high risk for COVID-19 on work assignment
• A presumed high-risk work environment where transmission of COVID-19 is inherently prevalent; and
• A chronological sequence between the work exposure and the development of symptoms.

Confirmatory tests

Sputum, nasopharyngeal or throat swab specimen collected from all patients at admission tested by real time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for SARS-Cov-2 RNA performed within three hours of collection.

Claims Reporting Requirements

Employers are obliged to report all occupationally acquired COVID 19 cases within 14 days of receipt of notice from the affected employees.

The report should include all the relevant exposure, medical and earnings information pertaining to the claim and the following requirements of section 65 of COIDA:

• First Medical Report in respect of an Occupational Disease indicating U07.1 as the ICD-10 code for COVID-19
• Exposure History and/or any other appropriate employment history which should include any information that will be helpful to the adjudication of the claim.
• A medical report on the employee’s symptoms that details the history, establishes a diagnosis of COVID-19 and laboratory results and chest radiographs where appropriate or any other information relevant to the claim.

Adjudication of the claim

All claims for potential occupationally acquired COVID -19 will be treated as prescribed in section 65 Compensation for occupational diseases and 66 Presumption regarding cause of occupational disease of COIDA.

See the full circular for Adjudication of claims related to COVID-19 here.

Benefits

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