Minister Adam Niedzielski assured during the Monday press conference that the questionnaire qualifying for the free coronavirus test “will increase the availability of tests”. Are you sure? We checked!
- To qualify for the free coronavirus test, you need to answer 6 questions
- An algorithm assesses the risk of infection
- Quarantine is imposed on the person applying for the test
- The form was tested by journalists and it turned out that in order to get a referral, the symptoms of COVID-19 must be very advanced
- More information about the coronavirus can be found on the Onet homepage
According to officials, the questionnaire is to ease the burden on GPs who refer people suspected of COVID-19 for free tests.
Our forms are analyzed by an algorithm
MedTvoiLokony tested today the form available at gov.pl/dom. Before we answer the questions in it, you should read a brief introduction. We learn from it, among other things, that you must be at least 18 years old to qualify for the test. In the event of qualifications, a Home Medical Care consultant will contact us, who will issue an order. Consultants work from 8.00 a.m. to 18.00 p.m. (also on weekends), so it is best to submit the form during this time.
After placing the order, we will receive an SMS with information about the proposed place and time of the test, which will allow us to avoid queuing at the swabbing point. The test result can also be read on the Patient’s Internet Account. However, the system imposes a quarantine on us from the moment the referral is issued.
There are not many questions in the form, only 6. Contact with a person infected with the SARS-CoV-2 virus is verified, chronic comorbidities, symptoms of infection, occupation (medical or not) and that’s it. The algorithm assesses the low or high risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection. The answer appears after a few seconds.
You must be really sick to get a test referral
The form was also completed by the journalist from TvoiLokony, Karolina Opolska. There were no problems, but anyone who thinks that using the website without effort and without the mediation of a general practitioner will qualify for the test is wrong. The matter becomes more complicated at the stage of confirming the answers, which guarantee the transition to the next stage, i.e. issuing an order to perform the test.
The editor of Opolska wrote down the real symptoms she had during the coronavirus infection. However, the answer surprised her greatly. It turned out that “the risk of infection with SARS-CoV-2 virus is low”. Consequently, she was not referred for a free test.
Another person who used the ministry’s website was Adam Ozga from Radio TOK FM. The journalist noted that he had direct contact with the infected at a distance of less than 2 meters, for more than 15 minutes face to face, and that he had a cough, fever and shortness of breath. What was his answer?
«The risk of infection with SARS-CoV-2 virus is LOW, therefore you have not been referred for the test».
Ed. Ozga did not give up easily and completed the questionnaire a second time. This time fatigue added to the symptoms – and again the lack of qualifications. Only after diarrhea, loss of smell and taste were added, the system agreed to the test.
The editorial board recommends:
- An important change. You can order the COVID-19 test yourself
- How many tests for COVID-19 have we done in the last XNUMX hours? [Current data]
- Long COVID-19. The list of ailments keeps getting longer. What do convalescents suffer from?
Before use, read the leaflet, which contains indications, contraindications, data on side effects and dosage as well as information on the use of the medicinal product, or consult your doctor or pharmacist, as each drug used improperly is a threat to your life or health. Do you need a medical consultation or an e-prescription? Go to halodoctor.pl, where you will get online help – quickly, safely and without leaving your home. Now you can use e-consultation also free of charge under the National Health Fund.