The last three months of dealing with COVID-19 cases has identified that the virus is usually negative after 14 days plus three symptom free days.
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Spokesman for the Southern Highlands Division of General Practice said this has prompted the decision to not test when people who have had COVID-19 to confirm they are disease free?
He added that with a shortage of tests in the country the decision had been made to ensure that they were instead set aside for tests "where they will save lives".
Dr Roche said the daily updates provided in this column were based on information from NSW Health Public Unit.
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He said the unit stopped the count at 8pm each evening and it took 12-16 hours to get the statistics in from various areas and to check for duplications, accuracy etc before being published the following day.
Dr Roche said this meant that the confirmed statistics released to the public were a day behind.
Based on those statistics the latest update on COVID-19 in the Southern Highlands as of April 1 are:
- Number of positive cases: 17 - unchanged for the second day in a row! Brilliant (to date) Wingecarribee, keep it up!
- Proportion or number of positives due to overseas travel/ cruise ships/known contacts: 16
- Number of local cases who have required admission to hospital: - 1 (but not admitted to Bowral Hospital)
- Number of resolved cases: - not known (still too early to know)
- Number of community acquired cases in the Highlands: - 1
- Number of health care workers in Southern Highlands with CV19: - 0
- Number of at risk communities in Southern Highlands (eg nursing homes, boarding schools) of concern as CV19 Hotspot: - 0 (There is an aged care facility in South West Sydney (Opal Aged Care, Bankstown) with 4 cases)
Dr Roche said that all Registered Aged Care Facilities in the Highlands confirmed that they remain closed to all visitors.
"This includes families with the exception of emergencies and palliative care patients," he said. "All these nursing homes are putting measures in place to facilitate their residents talking with their families by phone, Skype, FaceTime etc to minimise the distress that isolation causes both residents and families.
"The old folk are starting to really miss the interaction with their families and visitors.
"All Aged Care Facilities met today with local GPs and the Hospital to fine tune our responses and management plans."
Flu Assessment Clinic
The Flu Assessment Clinic continues to run smoothly.
Dr Roche said locals were reminded that only people who meet the NSW Health Guidelines would be screened.
"Don't just rock up because you are anxious," he said.
"We recommend all people who feel that they need to be screened should talk to their GP by telephone first.
"If someone feels that they need testing and do not meet the guidelines for testing, they or their doctor will need to talk to the local Public Health Unit in Liverpool.
"Screening criteria are changing - often day-by-day - and General Practices are trying to stay up to date with these changes that are inevitable as the epidemic progresses.
"It takes about one day currently to get the results back (maybe more at times)."
Flu injection
Most General Practices now have their first batch of flu needles in.
Dr Roche said the injection was highly recommended as there are still the usual influenza bugs circulating.
"People weakened by the flu are a sitting target for a severe dose of COVID-19," he said.
"This is a good year to have one. But no dunny-roll behaviour please. Make sure the old folk get theirs first."
Advanced planning continued to take place with Bowral Hospital, Southern Highlands Private Hospital, South West Sydney Public Health Unit and South West Sydney Local Health District, as well as with local doctors, aged care facilities, pharmacies and other health professional.
Dr Roche said extensive plans were being put into place to try to keep non-infected people out of the hospital Emergency Department.
"We are formulating new models of care for people with medical, surgical, orthopaedic and minor trauma /injuries, and new models of care for people in Aged Care Homes who fall sick or are injured in falls," he said.
"Bowral Hospital is now allowing just one visitor per patient.
"All staff and visitors to the hospital are being screened for infection risk as they enter the hospital.
"Elective surgery has been cancelled at both the Bowral Hospital and the Private Hospital. Preparations continue with both hospitals."
Meanwhile Dr Roche said teleconference meetings had taken place with staff and visiting medical officers, with community pharmacists, Aged Care Facilities' Directors of Nursing and GPs and their Practice Managers, to assist the planning and changes as the epidemic progresses.
"We express our ongoing gratitude to our frontline essential services - whether police, firemen, ambos healthcare workers, nurses, ED staff, Aged Care Staff, supermarket staff and the thousands of others - who put their own (and their families' ) own health at risk," he said.
"Our doctors strongly maintain that social isolation and frequent hand washing are our main weapons and there is an early indication that this is starting to make a difference.
"Stay at home unless you are an essential worker. This is going to be critical in the next couple of weeks. This is where the battle will be won or lost!"
However Dr Roche said don't forget to talk to your family, friends and neighbours - by phone, by Skype, by Facebook and social media or by Skype.
"Often our most vulnerable are the loneliest and most easily forgotten," he said.
"Think of safe ways to help your stressed neighbour - a chat, doing their shopping, pick up their medications for them, walk their dog, or ask them to accompany you - one-with-one at a couple of metres distance - go for a walk.
"Exercise stimulates your immune system and is a great mood stabiliser! It really helps us deal with our ever present anxiety."
Computer support
Dr Roche has also issued a call to help children who are homeschooling and need a computer.
"Do you know anyone who is home from school - and has no computer or device to do school work on? Or no internet?" he said.
"I have some older laptops and computers at home and with a bit of effort to clean my drives - they could help someone!
"And I suspect many of you have one or two unused devices at home.
"Are there any unemployed/stood down/bored or just community-minded folk out there who could pick this up and run with it?
"We could ask local ISPs and even Telstra if there is a solution for the provision of internet.
"The magazines show us as a beautiful prosperous wealthy shire - but we still have some distinct pools of have-nots!
"It is not fair if COVID makes them fall further behind the eight ball.
I throw the challenge out to you all."
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