Niedzielski: We wanted to propose a modification to the pandemic strategy. A patient with a positive result returns to their GP or a first-level hospital. The doctor at this level makes the assessment.

29/09/2020

14:57

Niedzielski:

We wanted to propose a modification to the pandemic strategy. A patient with a positive result returns to their GP or a first-level hospital. The doctor at this level makes the assessment.

- We wanted to propose a certain modification to the strategy of fighting the pandemic, which concerns the patient management scheme - said Adam Niedzielski during a press conference. - This modification concerns the moment from which a patient knows they have a positive result, i.e., when they receive information about a positive result after a PCR test. The modification is that until now, such a patient was routinely directed to an infectious diseases hospital. The proposal we want to make is quite different. A patient with this positive result returns to their primary healthcare physician, i.e., their family doctor, or if the test was performed as part of a suspicion and referral to a first-level hospital, they return to that hospital with the positive result to the doctor at the first level of COVID-19 hospital care. The doctor at this level makes the assessment, which previously in the old model was only made by an infectious diseases specialist. They assess the severity of the illness or the course of the coronavirus infection, primarily by analyzing the symptoms - he continued. - If the course is asymptomatic or mildly symptomatic, it is the right of the doctor, whether a family doctor or a doctor at the first level of COVID-19 hospital care, to decide that in the absence of symptoms or mild symptoms, this doctor will issue the isolation decision, meaning that the isolation decision is no longer issued solely by an infectious diseases specialist - he continued. - Of course, if we are dealing with a patient who has clear symptoms, then the medical assessment will be the basis for the decision on whether to refer, or indeed to refer, the patient to an infectious diseases hospital or a third-level hospital - he added. - We want to prepare a special regulation that describes the scheme of postępowania (procedure) with a patient suspected of having or already diagnosed with coronavirus. We will prepare this regulation by the end of this week - stated the minister.