New coronavirus testing criteria put GPs under ‘considerable strain’

Revised criteria for testing for Covid-19 has created “considerable additional strain for GPs and their staff”, the body representing general practitioners has said.

The new testing standards, which were announced on Tuesday evening and went into effect early on Wednesday morning, dramatically reduced the eligibility for Covid-19 testing.

Whereas before, those displaying one symptom were to be put forward for testing, under the new regime patients must be suffering from two symptoms, have a respiratory disease and be a contact of a confirmed or suspected case, and also be in a priority group to be eligible for testing.

Dr Mary Favier, president of the Irish Council for General Practitioners, said that "at this time of national emergency, decisions by public health are being made in all our best interest and at very short notice. The GP community is under great strain, and as president I wish to acknowledge the wonderful work they and their staff are doing and to thank them for same."

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Many of those who had been deemed eligible for testing under the old regime will not now receive an appointment at one of the more than 40 testing centres that have been established around the State. Others who have already been swabbed will receive their results.

Huge surge

GPs who spoke to The Irish Times said their workload had increased as they received and made calls to those who had previously been determined as eligible for testing, clarifying if they were still eligible under the revised rules. In the majority of cases, they were not.

However, GPs said that as news of the newly restricted testing criteria came out, there was a decrease in contacts from new callers seeking tests.

The National Public Health Emergency Team made the decision to change the criteria, in line with World Health Organisation standards, after a massive surge in people seeking testing. Some 20,000 people per day had sought tests in recent days, causing a backlog of more than 40,000 cases.

Some GPs said the diminished testing meant estimates of the prevalence of Covid-19 in the population would be less accurate.

“It will be difficult to get a true reflection of who has Covid-19,” Dublin GP Dr Mark Murphy said, adding he was receiving a lot of calls from people he believed had the virus but were not eligible for testing.

In mild cases, a person’s test status is immaterial, as medical advice for anyone symptomatic in any way is to self-isolate, and only get in touch with doctors after their initial consultation if they become more ill.