lug152022
The incidence of COVID-19 cases is skyrocketing nationwide under the pressure of the now dominant Omicron 5. Vaccination carried out in recent months protects most of the population from serious illness and hospitalization, but not always from infection with this new variant. To cope with this particular phase, the Italian Society of General Medicine and Primary Care takes stock of the situation and draws up a handbook useful for doctors and citizens.
“The virus, now endemic, must not scare most people – he explains Ignatius Grattagliano Simg Covid-19 activity coordinator – At the same time, SARS-CoV-2 infection still requires maximum attention for the most vulnerable subjects (elderly, immunosuppressed, with multimorbidity …) “.
For Grattagliano, an anti-COVID plan must in any case be continuously present in the daily activity of general medicine and this cannot fail to consider a series of useful points for doctors and all citizens.
Here is the decalogue
1- Receive patients in the office as much as possible on a scheduled basis.
2- Avoid crowding the waiting rooms.
3- Carry out home visits and access to residential structures only for non-deferrable cases.
4- Suspect a case of COVID whenever a client reports relevant symptoms and request a verification swab.
5- Avoid direct contact with infected patients who can be managed and monitored remotely by telephone.
6- Keep a safe distance from patients and visit them with suitable PPE (gloves, FFP2 masks, goggles / visor).
7- Disinfect hands and instruments after each medical examination.
8- In the presence of a symptomatic carrier of the virus, immediately assess its vulnerability and, if necessary, start prescribing specific therapy (antivirals, monoclonal antibodies) as soon as possible.
9- In the infected patient, avoid the inappropriate use of drugs such as antibiotics, LMWH, cortisone drugs, oxygen therapy.
10- Promote vaccination of particularly fragile subjects.
“The variants will continue to be identified, isolated and studied – concludes Prof. Claudio Cricelli, President Simg – Anti-COVID vaccines, updated antiviral and monoclonal therapies are being tested, which will be added to the therapies already available and which must be used more especially by our GPs. The action plan must first of all secure the assistance centers and their staff, meeting places, transport and social centers. Meanwhile, SARS-CoV-2 has now become a co-inhabitant of our own spaces. “