CORONAVIRUS COMMUNITY TESTING FOR CORONAVIRUS
(COVID-19) UNDERWAY IN LANARKSHIRE A NEW COMMUNITY TEAM HAS BEEN ESTABLISHED IN LANARKSHIRE TO TEST PEOPLE - AT HOME - WHO HAVE BEEN IDENTIFIED AS BEING AT RISK OF CORONAVIRUS (COVID-19).
INTERNATIONAL PHARMACEUTICAL FEDERATION PUBLISHED GUIDANCE
The International Pharmaceutical Federation (FIP) has issued international guidelines as to the role that community pharmacists can play in preventing the spread of the new coronavirus 2019-nCoV.
Some of the NHS
Lanarkshire staff involved in community testing for coronavirus (COVID-19).
A
s the number of people diagnosed with coronavirus in Scotland continues to grow,
NHS Lanarkshire has set up a dedicated team of healthcare workers, who are helping to reduce the number of potential patients visiting local hospitals.
The dedicated team of nurses and healthcare clinical support workers are visiting people in their homes to collect samples for testing, making it easy for them to follow health advice rather than coming into contact with others in the likes of GP practices or hospitals.
The new approach will help quickly test any possible cases of coronavirus (COVID-19), keep staff safe and minimise the risk of infection.
In line with established infection control measures, the team will wear protective clothing while undertaking community testing.
NHS Lanarkshire is also establishing a fixed community testing facility at Law House in Carluke, where patients will attend and ‘drive through’ in their cars after receiving an appointment from their GP or NHS 24.
Gabe Docherty, NHS Lanarkshire’s
director of public health, said the new approach was a sensible step that would benefit staff, local people and communities alike.
‘We want to reassure our colleagues, people and communities there are no known cases of coronavirus (COVID- 19) from the Lanarkshire area at this time,’ he said. ‘The introduction of community testing is all about following the advice in relation to staying at home, minimising contact with others and limiting the potential spread of the virus. By doing this, we can better manage any possible cases – of course, not everyone tested will have the virus – while minimising the risk of infection, so it benefits everyone all round.
‘I appreciate it may be daunting for neighbours and family members to see our staff in their neighbourhood in protective clothing, but there really is no need to be concerned. This is simply a precautionary measure that is in line with standard infection control procedures and we very much appreciate the support and co- operation of our communities.
‘It’s crucial that people follow the most up-to-date healthcare advice,
which can be found on the NHS Inform website. We’ve also created a dedicated section on the NHS Lanarkshire website, with links to lots of official information and advice, and are sharing information through our social media channels.
‘By working together, following healthcare advice and putting our new community testing in place, we can all play our part in doing what we can to protect ourselves from coronavirus (COVID-19).’
For further information, visit
www.nhsinform.scot/coronavirus or
www.nhslanarkshire.scot.nhs.uk/ coronavirus.
‘Since pharmacies are often the first point of contact with the health system and given that cases have already been seen in a number of countries, it is important that the whole pharmacy workforce is well informed and prepared,’ said taskforce chair, Jane Dawson, who is also secretary of FIP’s Military and Emergency Pharmacy Section and director of health policy for the New Zealand Defence Force.
The document gives reliable information on 2019-nCoV and covers preventive measures (from how to wear a mask to effective disinfection), what equipment to stock, advice that pharmacists can give, and laboratory testing.
FIP’s document, ‘Coronavirus 2019- nCoV outbreak: Information and interim guidelines for pharmacists and the pharmacy workforce’, is downloadable from the FIP website.
‘As demonstrated by previous SARS-CoV and MERS-CoV outbreaks, coronavirus infections can be contained through the active engagement of decision- makers, healthcare professionals and the community. This guidance is a valuable resource to ensure preparedness of our workforce in combating this new coronavirus and perhaps future ones. It also highlights the huge benefit of international collaboration via FIP,’ Jane Dawson added.
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