Primary care management of the coronavirus (COVID-19)
South African Family Practice
| Field | Value | |
| Title | Primary care management of the coronavirus (COVID-19) | |
| Creator | Mash, Bob | |
| Description | South Africa is in the grip of a novel coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19). Primary care providers are in the frontline. COVID-19 is spread primarily by respiratory droplets contaminating surfaces and hands that then transmit the virus to another person’s respiratory system. The incubation period is 2–9 days and the majority of cases are mild. The most common symptoms are fever, cough and shortness of breath. Older people and those with cardiopulmonary co-morbidities or immunological deficiency will be more at risk of severe disease. If people meet the case definition, the primary care provider should immediately adopt infection prevention and control measures. Diagnosis is made by a RT-PCR test using respiratory secretions, usually nasopharyngeal and oropharyngeal swabs. Mild cases can be managed at home with self-isolation, symptomatic treatment and follow-up if the disease worsens. Contact tracing is very important. Observed case fatality is between 0.5% and 4%, but may be overestimated as mild cases are not always counted. Primary care providers must give clear, accurate and consistent messages on infection prevention and control in communities and homes. | |
| Publisher | AOSIS | |
| Date | 2020-03-31 | |
| Identifier | 10.4102/safp.v62i1.5115 | |
| Source | South African Family Practice; Vol 62, No 1 (2020): Part 2; 4 pages 2078-6204 2078-6190 | |
| Language | eng | |
| Relation |
The following web links (URLs) may trigger a file download or direct you to an alternative webpage to gain access to a publication file format of the published article:
https://safpj.co.za/index.php/safpj/article/view/5115/6067
https://safpj.co.za/index.php/safpj/article/view/5115/6066
https://safpj.co.za/index.php/safpj/article/view/5115/6068
https://safpj.co.za/index.php/safpj/article/view/5115/6065
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