At the attention of all healthcare workers (@DGSaude, @saude_pt, @BastonarioOM in 🇵🇹):
Very relevant #COVID19 insights from the University Hospital San Paolo, in Milan, collected today at a @WHO webinar with Dr. Claudio Colosio.
1/11
Very relevant #COVID19 insights from the University Hospital San Paolo, in Milan, collected today at a @WHO webinar with Dr. Claudio Colosio.
1/11
Early front-line experience (~2000 cases in Milan) can inform adequate procedures for other hospitals.
A LOT of attention must be given to the healthcare workers potential infection, not only as an individual measure, but as a way of interrupting further transmission.
2/11
A LOT of attention must be given to the healthcare workers potential infection, not only as an individual measure, but as a way of interrupting further transmission.
2/11
In Portugal, 20% of the identified cases in the country are medical doctors, and the real amount of cases should be much higher. Every infected health worker is a potential super transmitter since an index case could lead to a hidden network of asymptomatic transmission.
3/11
3/11
The key message from their experience at the Milan's Hospital:
It is extremely necessary wide-reaching contact tracing of any positive healthcare worker!
What to do with the contacts:
4/11
It is extremely necessary wide-reaching contact tracing of any positive healthcare worker!
What to do with the contacts:
4/11
1. Immediate use of surgical mask protection, all the times.
2. The most important is MONITORING: there is no hurry in performing the test, in many cases an infected case has tested negative during the first 5 days and tested positive after.
5/11
2. The most important is MONITORING: there is no hurry in performing the test, in many cases an infected case has tested negative during the first 5 days and tested positive after.
5/11
3. If the first test is negative and the worker is asymptomatic, he/she should continue working, however using a surgical mask with no exceptions. Then he/she needs to be retested, as often only the second test revealed to be positive.
6/11
6/11
4. If the infection is confirmed - quarantine and return to work only after 2 negative nasopharyngeal swabs in 24h.
Other remarks:
- The virus was still identified, in several cases, after the 14 days of quarantine.
- Surgical masks and gloves are enough to protect.
7/11
Other remarks:
- The virus was still identified, in several cases, after the 14 days of quarantine.
- Surgical masks and gloves are enough to protect.
7/11
- Anosmia, dysgeusia and conjunctival hyperemia have been identified as general symptoms, along with the typical ones. Cases were identified earlier by the detection of such symptoms, so those should be included in the anamnesis.
8/11
8/11
- Track the data in an online database, as the healthcare workers cases and contacts may rise to unbearable numbers very fast.
Dr. Colosio stressed the importance of not making the same mistakes over and over again around all the hospitals.
9/11
Dr. Colosio stressed the importance of not making the same mistakes over and over again around all the hospitals.
9/11
It is extremely important to monitor, use adequate protection and test the healthcare workers even if they don't show symptoms: in San Paolo Hospital 90% of the positive cases were asymptomatic!
10/11
10/11
Please share this information widely with other healthcare workers and let's fight #COVID19 transmission 💪
(I can provide the link to the webinar for the ones interested - contact by DM)
11/11
(I can provide the link to the webinar for the ones interested - contact by DM)
11/11
