The Health Department has been screening passengers of all international flights, categorising persons with symptoms for home or hospital quarantine. However, as of now, there is a lack of clarity on what private practitioners should do if they receive patients with symptoms of COVID-19 and history of travel to an affected country. If a person with symptoms of cold, cough and fever approaches a private practitioner, these are the steps that should be followed, says P. Sampath, Surveillance Officer and joint director, Epidemics, Tamil Nadu.
Also read: Coronavirus | State Helpline numbers for COVID-19
- Ask him/her for a travel history.
- The history-taking exercise should include date of arrival in the State.
- The doctor should take into account the impact of COVID-19 in the country from which the patient has arrived.
- Examine the patient, check temperature, breathing sound and pulse, and look for signs of fatigue.
- Categorise the symptoms as mild or severe.
- If mild, prescribe medications as per the person’s symptoms and advise self-isolation at home.
- If symptoms do not subside in two days, and if a person has difficulty breathing, call the Health Department’s round-the-clock control room for COVID-19 at 104; landline: 044-2951 0400 and 044-2951 0500; mobile: 94443 40496 and 87544 48477.
- If symptoms are severe, call the Health Department’s control room.
- The control room will make arrangements to pick up the patient for hospital isolation and testing for COVID-19.
Watch | COVID-19: Dos and don'ts from the Health Ministry
Points to bear in mind for persons with symptoms
- If you have a family physician, first call him/her over the phone.
- Share details of the symptoms, travel history, if any, with the doctor.
- If you do not have a family physician, call the State’s round-the-clock health helpline at 104. They will help in connecting to the nearest primary health centre, medical officer or health team for consultation.
- Persons with symptoms cannot directly approach the government hospitals or government testing facilities for treatment/testing of COVID-19.
