What to do if you have symptoms |
|
Coronavirus - What to do if you have symptoms
Page last updated 24-10-2022
If you believe you have Coronavirus in Andalucia this is the current (October 2022) advice on steps to follow
1.- If you have mild symptoms.
If the symptoms are the same as a common cold and other respiratory diseases, you can lead a 'normal' life with caution: wear a mask at all times when leaving the house, take extreme precautions and reduce social interactions as much as possible and maintain proper hand hygiene for 10 days after the onset of symptoms or diagnosis in the case of being asymptomatic. In addition, you should "especially avoid contact with vulnerable people and participation in mass events" and whenever possible, teleworking is recommended.
People with mild covid-like symptoms do not need to undergo diagnostic testing or isolation for quarantine. It will be up to the family doctor to decide whether home isolation is necessary.
2. When is a diagnostic test is recommended?
In general, diagnostic testing for covid will not be performed in health care centres when mild symptoms are present. Diagnostic testing should focus on people with vulnerability factors (over 60 years, immunocompromised and pregnant women), vulnerable settings (health and social-health care) and severe cases.
3. Confirmed cases
Confirmed cases should take extra precautions and reduce social interactions as much as possible by constantly wearing a facemask and maintaining adequate hand hygiene for 10 days after symptom onset or diagnosis in the case of asymptomatic persons. Contact with vulnerable people and participation in mass events should be avoided. You should inform their close contacts of your positive diagnosis so that they can observe prevention measures.
People working in vulnerable settings and workers who provide support and care to vulnerable people should stay away from their workplace for the first 5 days from the onset of symptoms or from the date of diagnosis in the case of asymptomatic people. After this time, and provided that 24 hours have elapsed since the disappearance of the fever or the symptoms have improved, an Ag test will be carried out and if the result is negative, they may return to their workplace. If the result is positive, the test may be repeated every 24 hours until a negative result is obtained and you may return to work.
The new covid-19 surveillance and control strategy recommends teleworking whenever possible.
4. When to contact the health care system
In the following cases you should contact the health system by telephone, visit to the primary care centre or via the Salud Responde App or by Telephone.
People with severe COVID symptoms.
People in vulnerable settings (health and social-health).
Vulnerable people (over 60s, severely ill, immunocompromised and pregnant women).
If a case worsens with fever above 38°C for more than three days or difficulty breathing, contact your doctor or the health care system.
Extreme precautions should always be taken by reducing social interactions as much as possible, constantly wearing a facemask and maintaining proper hand hygiene until the result of the diagnostic test is obtained.
4. In which situations is quarantine mandatory?
Quarantines will be mandatory for severe cases and vulnerable population, i.e. over 60 years of age, immunocompromised and pregnant women, as well as for healthcare workers. Quarantines in nursing homes and hospitals will also remain mandatory regardless of symptomatology. Isolations will last five days and will end after 24 hours without any symptoms.
Self-testing tests for SARS-CoV-2 are available in pharmacies and can be purchased without prescription.
The test should always be performed according to the manufacturer's instructions. The performance of the self-test depends on the type of sample and the correct execution of the procedure including correct sample collection.
These tests are not used to obtain the EU digital COVID certificate. If you wish to carry out a test that proves negative results in order to obtain the certificate, you must go to one of the private laboratories that can issue a certificate.
Salud Responde
Salud Responde is the Andalucia state health service helpline and it can be contacted by:
Telephone on 955 54 50 60 or 900 400 061 (not 112 or 061)
Email to [email protected]
Mobile App 'Cita Médica Andalucía'
Repeat Prescriptions
People who need a repeat prescription can now do so without going to the local heath centre. When you call to make an appointment, the health centre or Salud Responde will ask the reason for the consultation. If this is for a prescription their doctor will call them by telephone within 48 hours and upload the prescriptions to their health card so that they can go to the pharmacy to collect the medicines.