COVID-19 Testing Criteria | Specific Clinician Directions for Tuesday 1 September 2020

COVID-19 Testing Criteria | Specific Clinician Directions for Tuesday 1 September 2020

Please note NO CHANGES REQUIRED for today TUESDAY 1 SEPTEMBER 2020 12MD

COVID-19 TESTING CRITERIA

Source (also available in reference link): https://www.health.nsw.gov.au/Infectious/covid-19/Pages/case-definition.aspx#increase

Symptoms of COVID-19 include fever (≥37.5), cough, sore throat, shortness of breath (difficulty breathing), loss of smell and loss of taste.

• Other reported symptoms of COVID-19 include fatigue, runny nose, muscle pain, joint pain, diarrhoea, nausea/vomiting and loss of appetite. In more severe cases, infection can cause pneumonia with severe acute respiratory distress.
• NSW Health recommends that anyone with respiratory symptoms, loss of sense of smell or taste, or unexplained fever should be tested for COVID-19.

This is especially important for:

1. anyone who lives or works in a high risk setting, including healthcare facilities, aged care and other residential facilities, schools, prisons, and other closed settings
2. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people
3. people who are close contacts of a confirmed case
4. people who have returned from overseas in the last 14 days
5. anyone admitted to hospital.

Further instructions:

• Routine tests for acute pneumonia/pneumonitis should also be performed where indicated according to local protocols.

• Any person referred by Public Health for testing or by a GP for testing should be tested regardless of symptoms (even if asymptomatic).

• Prioritisation of testing is for public health purposes, maintaining essential services and supporting HSC students, the laboratory request form is clearly marked so testing can be prioritised.

• Clearly mark (written plus yellow highlighter marker) both the sample container and request form as URGENT & CATEGORY:

• “Urgent – ICU inpatient”

• “Urgent – ED inpatient”

• “Urgent – Ward inpatient”

• “Urgent – Healthcare Worker”

• ”Urgent – Public health outbreak control”

• “Urgent – Essential Services Workers”

• “Urgent – HSC Student”

• Source (also available in reference link):  https://www.health.nsw.gov.au/Infectious/covid-19/communities-of-practice/Pages/testing-prioritisation.aspx  

SPECIFIC CLINICIAN DIRECTIONS FOR TUESDAY 1 SEPTEMBER 2020 12MD – PLEASE NOTE BELOW INFORMATION UPDATES REGULARLY

Source (also available in reference link): https://www.nsw.gov.au/covid-19/latest-news-and-updates

1. CLOSE CONTACTS: Asymptomatic testing and self-isolation immediately and for 14 days, regardless of a negative test for anyone who has been to any of the below locations during the time and dates indicated.

1. Bus route X39. Thursday 20 August, Departure: 6:08pm from Pitt Street opposite Australia Square, Arrival: 6:40pm at Clovelly Road and Carrington Road, Randwick.
2. Caringbah: Highfield Caringbah. 6pm to 8:30pm on Saturday 22 August (please note: the public has been directed to Self-isolate and get tested immediately if you were at this location for more than two hours at this time and date. Other patrons at this location for less than two hours at this time and date are casual contacts and should monitor for symptoms)
3. Hunters Hill: Hunters Hill Bowling Club (indoor dining room). 12pm to 2pm on Sunday 23 August.
4. Marrickville: Anytime Fitness: 7pm to 8pm on Monday 24 August.
5. Randwick: Fitness First (weights room). 3:30pm to 4:15pm on Sunday 23 August.
6. Sydney: City Tattersalls Fitness Centre. 8am to 2pm on Wednesday 19 August, 8am to 2pm on Friday 21 August including; Aqua Aerobics from 10am to 10:45am, Stretch Class from 11am to 11:50am & Pump Class from 12:15pm to 1pm. 8am to 2pm on Sunday 23 August. 8am to 2pm on Monday 24 August, 8am to 2pm on Tuesday 25 August (please note: Anyone who attended the Club between Tuesday 4 August and Tuesday 18 August 2020 should get tested for COVID-19, regardless of symptoms, and self-isolate until a negative test result is received. If you receive a negative result, you can leave isolation)
7. Zetland: Virgin Gym. People who attended the Active Dance class at 7:40pm on Monday 24 August.

2. CASUAL CONTACTS: All other locations are symptomatic testing and self-isolation until a negative test is received

Please note: This includes anyone who has been to Queensland in the past 14 days, the public has been directed to monitor for symptoms and get tested with even the mildest of symptoms.

Source (also available in reference link): https://www.qld.gov.au/health/conditions/health-alerts/coronavirus-covid-19/current-status/contact-tracing )

COVID-19 TESTING CRITERIA

Please note new process for SHEOC to provide COVID-19 testing criteria

1. SHEOC provide current case definition https://www.health.nsw.gov.au/Infectious/covid-19/Pages/case-definition.aspx#increase
2. SHEOC additionally add SPECIFIC CLINICIAN DIRECTIONS from latest public updates   https://www.nsw.gov.au/covid-19/latest-news-and-updates
3. SHEOC will provide this text to SHEOC/PHEOC Public Health Physician for endorsement for eMR Rapid Response working group to input into eMR every Monday
4. Due to the nature of this information changing rapidly at present a daily update will be given as SPECIFIC CLINICIAN DIRECTIONS MAY UPDATE EVERY SIX HOURS
5. SHEOC will provide a daily email to eMR Rapid Response working group by 11am every day including EHNSW-ClinicalApplicationServices@health.nsw.gov.au  (For: SPECIFIC CLINICIAN DIRECTIONS FOR X date 12 MIDDAY)
   1. ENDORSE: 2 people from eMR Rapid Response working group to endorse via email. If changes in locations & dates ONLY NOT REQUIRED.
   2. eMR ENTRY: eHealth will update text into eMR
   3. COMPLETE: eHealth will email group with the specific text entered into eMR to close process