Widespread testing key to any further easing of social rules

QUEENSLAND Health has advised GPS to start testing anyone who has any respiratory signs for COVID-19 and this is good news.

Many of us in Townsville are already breathing a little easier now that case numbers have been growing slowly and while we cannot afford to relax all of the rules yet it is clear we are on a positive path.

Testing for COVID-19 was initially restricted to the highest risk individuals with strong symptoms and this was necessary at the time due to small numbers of testing kits and reagents.

The restrictions have gradually eased over the past few weeks and now that we are going to see a massive increase in the number of tests in Townsville so we will get a clearer idea of the number of true cases in the community.

One of the features of COVID-19 is that many individuals can have the infection without feeling any significant symptoms.

Even without symptoms there is evidence that the individuals can still spread the risk to others.

These “asymptomatic” spreaders are the ones that public health physicians fear the most and it is for this reason that social distancing restrictions needed to be so strong.

From now we will be asking all patients in the community with a sore throat, cough, fever or other respiratory symptom to be tested for COVID-19.

This will give an important snapshot of whether the virus is hiding in our community and it will guide decision makers on what steps may be necessary moving forward to keep the community safe.

Dealing with your GP over the phone will still be the preferred method for telling us about your cough and cold symptoms.

The drive-in testing centre at Reid Park is one of the convenient testing locations and you do not need a referral before going there.

Alternatively your GP might guide you to attend one of the private testing facilities with a pathology form.

After testing it is still important for you to self-isolate to reduce the risk of you spreading whatever bug you may have.

The expansion of the testing criteria for COVID-19 is the next important and positive step towards the easing of our social distancing restrictions.

If widespread testing fails to find a large number of hidden cases then it is likely we can hope for further easing of the social distancing restrictions in the coming months.