If you have a fever or a cough, you are already diagnosed with COVID-19? A new definition of the so-called case of COVID-19 was announced by the Chief Sanitary Inspector. The definition was prepared for the needs of epidemiological supervision for the qualification of patients and the production of COVID-19 incidence statistics. Do you have COVID-19 symptoms? Check what a coincidence you are!

Who is sick with COVID-19?In the season of increased incidencecold ,flu and other infections whose symptoms are similar to those ofCOVID-19 , more and more people are looking for an answer to this question. The Chief Sanitary Inspector (GIS) therefore provided the public with a new definition of the so-called the case of COVID-19. This definition defines the criteria and conditions that must be met by a patient in order for epidemiological services to recognize him as suffering from COVID-19.

Who is sick with COVID-19: what conditions must be met?

GIS criteria for COVID-19 are divided into several types:

Clinical criteria, or symptoms

A case of COVID-19 is any person who experiences at least one of the following symptoms:

  • cough
  • fever
  • shortness of breath
  • loss of sense of smell with sudden onset
  • sudden onset loss or disturbance of taste

Here : make sure you have COVID-19 symptoms!

Criteria for diagnostic imaging

A case of COVID -19 is someone whose lung radiography (X-ray of the lung) shows changes indicative of COVID-19.

Laboratory criteria

The case of COVID -19 is someone who was tested for COVID-19 and the results revealed:

  • SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus nucleic acid in the test of clinical material - GIS clearly indicates that samples of clinical material from the lower respiratory tract (alveolar-bronchial lavage - BAL), bronchoaspirate, expectorated sputum) have a higher value diagnostic than samples from the upper respiratory tract (e.g. nasopharyngeal swab),
  • SARS-CoV-2 antigens in the antigen test.

Check also : what are the types of coronavirus tests!

Epidemiological criteria

By accidentCOVID-19 is a person who, within 14 days before the onset of disease symptoms (see point 1), met at least 1 of 2 conditions:

1. has had close contact with another person who was diagnosed with SARS-CoV-2 infection, including a confirmed or probable case of COVID-19; close contact is understood as:

  • being in close proximity, i.e. face to face with a sick person, less than 2 m away for more than 15 minutes,
  • direct physical contact with a person infected with the SARS-CoV-2 virus,
  • direct contact without protective measures with the secretions of a person with COVID-19, i.e. exposure to the cough secretion of a sick person, or touching a mask or tissue they use up,
  • contact with an infected person on board the plane or other means of public transport, including: a / persons occupying two seats (in each direction) from a person with COVID-19, b / persons accompanying the journey or taking care of a person with COVID -19, crew members serving the unit where the sick person is located. At this point, the GIS recognizes that when a given passenger has experienced severe COVID-19 symptoms, it should be considered that the so-called all passengers of a given means of transport had close contact with this person,
  • medical staff or other person directly caring for patients with COVID-19,
  • a person working in the laboratory directly with samples of people with COVID-19 without proper protection, or when they were equipped with personal protective equipment but used them incorrectly, or they were damaged.

2. a person who was resident or was a member of staff in an institution providing long-term care where transmission of COVID-19 was confirmed.

Who is sick with COVID-19: types of cases

GIS also identified 3 types of COVID-19 cases:

1.possible case- any person meeting the clinical criteria,

2.probable case- any person who:

  • meets clinical and epidemiological criteria or
  • meets clinical criteria of sudden onset loss of smell and / or sudden onset loss or disturbance

3.confirmed case- every person who meets the diagnostic imaging criteria.

Who is sick with COVID-19: who will they send for testing?

According to the latest guidelines of the Chief Sanitary Inspector, all people with COVID-19 disease development are sent for laboratory testssymptoms of acute respiratory infection given in the case definition and additional symptoms such as:

  • headache
  • muscle aches
  • chills
  • fatigue
  • vomiting and / or diarrhea

and also persons referred on the basis of individual assessment of the doctor ordering the examination or of the sanitary and epidemiological services.

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Category:

COVID 19