Netcare Group ready for Covid-19

Netcare is prepared for Covid-19 in South Africa; prevention protection measures are in place at its facilities.

Netcare Group chief executive officer Dr Richard Friedland said calm, caution and absolute vigilance are required to ensure any public health risk, including Covid-19, is managed responsibly.

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“Within all Netcare Group facilities, including Netcare hospitals and Medicross medical and dental centres, Akeso mental health hospitals, National Renal Care dialysis units, Netcare Cancer Centres and Netcare 911, we are putting several additional precautionary safeguards in place to protect all patients, visitors, staff members, doctors, and health-care and other service providers in our facilities,” said Friedland.

“We wish to assure the South African public that they are in safe hands at a Netcare Group facility during the outbreak of the virus. Credible health information is a powerful means of prevention, and we will do our utmost to help equip the public with important Covid-19 information at this time.”

Netcare formed a multi-disciplinary task team as soon as the outbreak of a new coronavirus in China was made public early in January.

The company has since implemented comprehensive precautionary measures to ensure all group operations are fully prepared to respond to, and manage, any cases of Covid-19.

These measures will reduce the risk of the virus presenting in any Netcare facilities and, should surface, to contain the virus and prevent it from spreading.

Friedland said they have closely cooperated with the Netcare and the Department of Health (DoH) on an ongoing basis, and have aligned their clinical protocols for managing Covid-19 patients with their clinical guidelines.

“We have also implemented comprehensive measures to detect, identify and respond appropriately to any suspected or confirmed cases of Covid-19 at any of our facilities,” he said.

“These measures are used routinely and diligently by our emergency medical personnel, doctors and hospital staff to assess whether patients who are to be admitted to any of our facilities may have been exposed to risk factors associated with coronavirus.

“We have also done training in our facilities following the NICD and DoH guidelines so that they are appropriately prepared to help those who may have the virus,” Friedland noted.

Netcare Group facilities have implemented the following prevention protection measures with immediate effect:

• Ensuring that every person entering their facilities clean their hands.

• Ensuring that all persons entering their facilities are verbally screened for Covid-19 risk at the main points of entry as the first line of defence, and do further screening where indicated.

• Gazebos or tents are being erected at entrances to emergency departments and main hospital entrances, where their staff members will conduct the screening.

• At facilities with multiple entrances, some entrances may be closed to ensure adherence to hand-cleaning and screening.

• Deploying ultraviolet (UV) light disinfection robots in those hospitals that do not as yet have their own, as soon as possible. These mobile robots have been proven to be extremely effective in identifying and destroying viruses, bacteria and fungal spores.

• Restricting visiting times in their hospitals and the number of visitors allowed to visit a patient at a time. Management at the facilities where visiting applies will provide further information to patients and visitors. They acknowledge that maintaining contact while in hospital is important and beneficial to both patients and loved ones, but implementing restrictions in this regard will be for the greater good.

• Daily screening of all of their staff, including personnel of external service providers in all areas of the business.

• Making credible information on Covid-19 available to patients and visitors, as well as to the public.

The public is requested to assist in the following ways when visiting Netcare facilities:

• Please phone the emergency department or your health-care provider before coming in for a consultation if you are concerned that you may be infected with the coronavirus.

This will enable them to take the appropriate precautionary measures to ensure their staff and others at the facility are safeguarded while you are being assessed, treated or admitted until it can be confirmed whether you have tested positive or not for Covid-19.

• Please use the hand spray or hand rub available at the entrances and at various points inside their facilities to clean your hands as you enter, and at every available opportunity within their facilities, as well as when leaving.

• Please be patient while they are conducting verbal screenings, as this is to the benefit of both those visiting their hospitals, their patients and those providing services in their hospitals.

• Please refrain from visiting patients in their hospitals if you are unwell.

• Please adhere to any decisions by their hospitals to restrict visiting hours and the number of visitors per patient at a time.

• Please familiarise yourself with measures one should take to reduce your risk of exposure to, and the spread of, the virus.

“This is now a time for all South Africans to stand and work together in the knowledge that despite the myriad challenges we continue to face, this too we will overcome,” concluded Friedland.

Familiarise yourself with facts about the coronavirus (Covid-19)

What is Covid-19?

Covid-19 is one of many different coronaviruses identified in animals, but only a small number of these can cause disease in humans.

Some coronaviruses are common causes of illness, including respiratory illness, in humans throughout the world.

Sometimes coronaviruses that have infected animals can evolve to cause disease in humans and become a new (novel) coronavirus for humans, for example, MERS-CoV, first reported in 2012, and SARS-CoV, first reported in 2002.

On January 9, theDr Richard Friedland reported that a new coronavirus was identified in Wuhan City, Hubei Province, China.

The majority of patients initially identified were associated with a seafood wholesale market.

This suggests that the new coronavirus possibly originated from animals, but had evolved to cause disease in humans. However, the specific source of the virus is not yet known.

How is Covid-19 spread?

The virus is spread via respiratory droplets that are produced when an infected person coughs or sneezes, similar to how flu and other respiratory diseases are spread.

Persons with underlying illness and elderly people appear to be at greater risk of severe illness and complications from the infection.

What is the incubation period of Covid-19?

Current estimates of the virus’s incubation period range from two to 10 days.

What are the symptoms of Covid-19?

Symptoms reported include mild to severe respiratory illness with fever, coughing and difficulty in breathing.

Some infected people have little to no symptoms, while others have become severely ill with respiratory difficulties leading to pneumonia, sepsis and even organ failure. It is estimated that about three per cent of these people with the virus have died.

Who is at risk of being infected?

• People who have travelled within the past 21 days to areas with laboratory-confirmed Covid-19 cases.

• People showing symptoms that could be associated with Covid-19.

• People who have been in face-to-face contact, for example, in the home or work environment, with individuals who have travelled to areas with confirmed Covid-19 cases within the past 21 days and who may be infected but are not showing symptoms yet.

Which parts of the world have confirmed cases?

On March 5, there were confirmed cases in over 60 countries in the Western Pacific region, South East Asia, South and North America, Europe, the Eastern Mediterranean region and Africa, and on March 5, the first confirmed Covid-19 case was reported in South Africa.

How is Covid-19 treated?

As is the case with other viral infections, antibiotics are not an effective means of treatment and there is no specific antiviral treatment available.

Treatment is via supportive care, meaning that it is based on each person’s specific symptoms and conditions, for example, treatment for fever, and to treat any illnesses that may develop as a result of the infection.

Antibiotics may be prescribed if a bacterial secondary infection develops.

In line with internationally accepted Covid-19 treatment protocols, people under investigation for Covid-19 will be asked to self-quarantine, unless their condition is such that they need to be admitted to hospital for treatment.

Netcare will make information on self-quarantine available to these patients.

How can you reduce your risk of exposure to and transmission of Covid-19?

• Postpone non-essential travel to other countries, especially those with confirmed Covid-19 cases.

If you have to travel to international destinations, be vigilant and protect yourself by taking all precautions recommended by your health-care provider or travel health clinic.

• Wash your hands frequently with warm water and soap, towel-drying them properly, or clean your hands with an alcohol-based hand rub.

• Avoid close contact with persons with coughs, chest infections and/or fevers. Clean your hands after direct contact with ill people or their environment.

• Avoid touching your face, mouth and eyes with your hands.

• Avoid direct, unprotected contact with farm or wild animals, or visiting places where live animals are sold.

• Avoid eating raw or undercooked animal products and exercise care when handling raw meat, milk or animal organs to prevent potential cross-contamination with uncooked foods.

• Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue or a flexed elbow when coughing or sneezing.

Where can you get up-to-date, credible information on Covid-19?

• Call the NICD toll-free public hotline on 0800 029 999, Mondays to Fridays from 8am or visit their website (www.nicd.ac.za/diseases-a-z-index/covid-19/) for the latest information.

• Visit the WHO website (www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019/situation-reports) for the latest information.

Sources: NICD and WHO.