Positive swabs for some patients and two health care professionals
MESSINA – “Following a positive swab on a patient admitted to internal medicine, other covid tests were performed which led to the identification some covid-positive patients and two members of the health care staff“. This was announced by the medical director of the Papardo Hospital of Messina, Giuseppe Ranieri Trimarchi. “After the first positive patient – added the medical director – the new admissions to the ward were suspended. The patients were transferred to the Covid Area in the Infectious Diseases and Pneumology wards while patients requiring low-intensity care were transferred to suitable health facilities or to their homes.
Internal medicine admissions are currently closed, as had already been done by the first patient found positive. All the other patients remaining in the ward are negative as well as the employees. The department has been sanitized and made safe. “There are no particular forms of critical issues related to this situation – continued the medical director – Finally, it should be remembered that covid-19 can result from tests even after infection following the “silent” incubation period of 6 days and that therefore, after the inlet swab carried out in the ER or in ward as a practice, it may happen that it is positive already inside the ward and only after admission. To date, all patients admitted to internal medicine are negative for the molecular swab “.