Long waiting time at 1450: experts ask for corona tests from family doctors – Coronavirus Vienna

The Medical Association and the Ministry are generally positive about the proposal.

To determine if someone has Covid-19 or a flu-like infection, it should be possible “for general practitioners to take or fix corona swabs themselves,” said Susanne Rabady, vice president of the Society for General Practice and a member of the Council of Experts from the Minister of Health. “This is a means that we absolutely need. You can’t keep a child with a fever at home for two days and say, well, let’s wait for a test. The same applies to adults,” Rabady told Ö1. You usually know within 24 hours.

Rabady already offers these tests as part of a research project in his practice, but this would also be possible in hundreds of GP practices due to decades of contact with laboratories. More infections could be prevented with our own waiting rooms, additional ordering times for suspected cases, and mouth and nose protection when investigating suspected cases.

With the support of family doctors, he could ease the pressure of Corona’s tense situation, especially in big cities like Vienna. According to Rabady, the public railway, i.e. 1450, could focus on contact tracing and detection.

Thomas Szekeres, president of the Austrian Medical Association, was “basically positive” about the proposal in a conversation with the APA. “You just have to make sure that staff and other patients are not at risk of infection,” says Szekeres. Under no circumstances should patients go to an ordination without prior notice. Whether a physician wishes to perform corona testing is ultimately at their discretion. “We cannot force anyone to do it,” the president said.

According to the “Morgenjournal”, the Health Ministry also said that the proposal was supported. There are discussions with the health insurance company ÖGK for the federal government to cover the costs. The decided increase in funds for protective equipment is a prerequisite.