Family doctor: COVID-19 patients are on the rise, although they are not seen in waiting rooms

COVID-19 won’t let go. There are certainly more and more patients, but not in the clinics themselves. – Most often they diagnose themselves by taking a test from a pharmacy. Then they call and ask how to deal with the disease, what is allowed and what is not allowed because they have lost their way in changing regulations – the family doctor describes the current epidemic situation.

1. – A person who has done the test at home cannot be entered into the system and will not be taken into account by the official statistics of infected people – explains the drug. Agata Sławin
2. – When I sum up those infected people who come to us and those who signal us that they had a positive test at home, it can be seen that this number of patients is growing – he adds
3. The doctor admits that the vast majority of patients complain of pain and scratching in the throat, as well as a general feeling of weakness. However, there are also less common symptoms
4. – If the test confirms COVID-19, we should stay home so as not to expose others to infection. None of us want the restrictions to be restored, he appeals
5. More information can be found on the Onet homepage

The number of patients increases, but not in the waiting room

Dr. Agata Sławin, a family medicine doctor, noted in an interview with Medonet that there are more and more patients with COVID-19.

– Maybe not so much directly at the clinic, although here we also have several patients during the week in which we confirm this disease, but there is also a group of patients who do the test themselves, bought in a pharmacy and the result is positive – she explained.

Many patients escape official statistics

The specialist added that these are people who do not need to be released from work, because they most often work remotely, and they do not feel bad enough to come to the clinic. They’re just calling for teleportation. They ask how to deal with the disease. They make sure what restrictions apply to them due to infection.

– At some stage, many of us got lost in the epidemic laws that frequently change. Patients ask what they are allowed to do and what is not allowed. Can they leave the house. But when we invite them to the clinic, they say that they will take painkillers and do not want to come – said Dr. Sławin.

As she further noted, these are precisely the people who, although diagnosed with COVID-19, are not included in official statistics.

– We cannot enter such a person into the system. We can only do this if we confirm the infection with an antigen test performed at the clinic. When I sum up those infected people who come to us and those who signal us, had a positive test at home, it can be seen that this number of patients is growing – she concluded.

COVID-19 Symptoms – Has Anything Changed?

According to the doctor, most people now complain of scratching and pain in the throat and feeling worse. Most patients complain of weakness which usually disappears after a few days. However, it is not uncommon that it lasts several weeks or even months.

– Some patients complain of the symptoms typical of sinusitis. They indicate pain in the forehead area. They have a stuffy nose, despite the lack of a runny nose, severe headache. Sometimes there are people who have flu-like symptoms, i.e. fever, complain of breaking bones, muscle pains – said Dr. Sławin.

The clinical picture has not changed

The course of the disease itself did not change significantly. Most people have mild disease. Patients are also referred to hospital much less frequently.

– I think that it is also because now mainly young people are ill, and the elderly, if they get sick, they receive antiviral medicine – at least my patients, because the clinic has obtained strategic reserves. The drug, given up to five days from the onset of symptoms, actually causes patients to recover quickly, said Dr. Sławin.

Most patients are treated with painkillers, antipyretics, and sometimes a nasal steroid for sinus ailments.

– Patients do not have shortness of breath and usually have normal oxygen saturation, so they do not even require inhalation medication. We recommend rest, watering – said the doctor.

On-site test at the clinic

Dr. Sławin said that tests at the clinic are performed on an ongoing basis, directly during the examination of the patient, whenever the symptoms raise suspicion of COVID infection.

– In recent days, the number of consultations during which they are carried out has clearly increased – she noted.

She also advised that if we have symptoms of infection, and our clinic is not performing tests at the moment, it is worth taking a test from a pharmacy, for example. If it is positive, stay home even if we are going through covid gently. Then we reduce the risk of transmission of infection to people at risk: seniors, pregnant women, people with reduced immunity due to other diseases.

– First of all, we also limit the spread of the coronavirus. After all, none of us wants to go back to the restrictions – she added.

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