New test could tell if you had COVID-19 and didn’t know
Doctors could carry out telephone consultations with people who think they have the coronavirus as the government tries to limit the spread of the virus through GP waiting rooms.
Illness
Don't miss out on the headlines from Illness. Followed categories will be added to My News.
Doctors could be paid to carry out telephone consultations with people who think they have the coronavirus as the government tries to limit the spread of the virus through GP waiting rooms.
Patients with chronic illnesses who want to avoid medical waiting rooms may also be able to consult their GP over the phone Chief Medical Officer Brendan Murphy told Senate estimates.
“We’re certainly looking at telehealth items not only for coronavirus consultations but for people with chronic disease so they could have a consultation without having to go to the practice if they are worried about getting out,” Professor Murphy said.
The Government will hold a COVID-19 summit meeting of the nation’s GP groups on Friday to discuss the options and is also considering contracting specific GP clinics to deal with coronavirus patients.
The Royal Australian College of General practitioners has been calling on the government to introduce a time-limited Medicare rebate for telephone or telehealth consultations.
“We don’t want patients who suspect they have COVID-19 coming into clinic waiting rooms and potentially spreading the virus. And people experiencing symptoms should call ahead to their general practice for advice. Don’t just turn up in the waiting room,” RACGP president Dr Harry Nespolon said.
The AMA has welcomed the move.
“The AMA has been in regular contact with the Minister and the CMO over the past few weeks on this issue. We have made it very clear that telehealth items for general practice must be part of Australia’s coronavirus strategy,” AMA president Dr Tony Bartone said..
A telehealth platform created by the CSIRO and now run privately- COVIU- is already being used by 100 GPs to provide telehealth consults, it can also bill Medicare and deliver electronic prescriptions as well as allowing the doctor to see the patient in the video call.
A new test that will be able to tell if you have coronavirus but didn’t know it is also soon to be released.
The test will be extremely valuable in getting a better idea of the full spread of COVID-19 and establishing a more accurate mortality rate from the virus, Professor Murphy said.
Some cases of coronavirus are so mild people never visit a doctor and might think it was a simple common cold and they are not tested or counted in official figures.
Private pathology laboratories are also being approached to see if they can carry out tests for COVID-19 as the number of people needing testing increases as the virus spreads.
“We will definitely have to expand the testing but we have to work out how to fund them,” Professor Murphy told Senate estimates.
The government is trying to source more face masks and personal protective equipment in the event COVID-19 becomes a severe outbreak.
Australia has a large stockpile of masks sufficient for the present situation but Professor Murphy said there may not be enough for an extended and extreme outbreak.
Intensive care specialists are working out how to source spare ventilators and how they can turn general hospital wards into intensive care units if the virus takes off.
Elective surgery in public hospitals may have to be cancelled to free up hospital beds for COVID-19 patients if the virus outbreak becomes more serious, Professor Murphy said.
Aged care homes could be locked down and visitors prevented from entering the facility to protect residents if there is an outbreak of COVID-19 in the community where they are situated, Chief Medical Officer Brendan Murphy has told a Senate Estimates committee.
Aged care residents with a mild case of COVID-19 will be isolated and treated in their facility and the government is ensuring facilities have enough face masks and protective equipment and is trying to provide extra staff to homes that need them, he said.
If there is a large outbreak in an aged care facility infected residents would be housed together to reduce chance of the infection spreading.
If residents became very ill with the virus they would be transferred to hospital, Professor Murphy said.
The government is also considering whether to place restrictions on mass gatherings associated with the Iranian New Year celebrations on March 20.
“The Iranian New Year’s celebrations are coming up in a few weeks; we are considering making a recommendation to that community because of its high risk,” Dr Brendan Murphy said.
Biosecurity legislation would allow authorities to ban people from mass public gatherings, but Dr Murphy said simply giving advice to Australians would do. “The Australian population is very cooperative,” he said.
Originally published as New test could tell if you had COVID-19 and didn’t know