Public pathologists want to limit PCR tests to hospitals, healthcare professionals, and vulnerable groups

Public pathologists are calling for “gold standard” PCR testing to be limited to high-risk groups such as healthcare professionals, inpatients, geriatric care facilities and facilities for the disabled.

Petradellington, President and Microbiologist of Public Pasology Australia, tells ABC Radio Brisbane that the high positive rates reported in the test and the use of the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test for symptomatic close contact. He said the rapid spread of Omicron was no longer practical.

“If you are in close contact with someone who is known to be infected with COVID and you experience symptoms, we can safely guess that it is COVID and isolate the patient for another week. I think we’re at the stage where we can stay home. They feel asymptomatic, “Dr. Delington said.

“I believe it’s time for many practitioners, and certainly Australian Public Pathology pathologists, to really focus on high-risk groups.”

Last week, the National Cabinet revised its testing guidelines to relieve pressure on pathologists, eliminating the need for a PCR test if someone tested positive for a rapid antigen test (RAT) and free for concession card holders. Introduced RAT.

However, mass shortages of RAT are still reported nationwide.

On Monday, Queensland Health delayed reporting the full COVID-19 test number, as some private pathologists had not yet reported their numbers.

Private pathology companies have been forced to reduce test times in recent weeks to process test backlogs, but public pathology units remain open.

Keep COVID away from the hospital

Dr. Delington said public pathologists want to keep the “rampling COVID” away from hospitals and focus on helping healthcare professionals.

“We really feel that public pathology providers should focus on inpatients, emergency department patients, and healthcare professionals,” she said.

“It is very important that we focus and act swiftly. [PCR] Test these emergency department patients rather than receiving large quantities of other potentially unwanted samples from the fever clinic. “

Dr. Delington said that RAT testing is less sensitive than PCR testing, so moving to using rapid antigen testing in most of the community may increase the risk of missing some positive cases.

But she said she needed to be “realistic” about the available public health resources.

“If you know almost 100% that you have a COVID, it doesn’t seem wise or rational to ask you to stand in a line that could spread it further.”

Private support

Sullivan Nikolides, a private pathology laboratory, has reduced the number of public COVID-19 testing facilities, prioritized vulnerable groups, and processed the COVID-19 testing backlog.

“Our priority is … to care for the elderly first, to treat inpatients, especially vulnerable patients, to test exposed health care workers and get them to work. I’ve heard the same thing. More … for people in important industries like food distribution, “said CEO Michael Harrison.

Dr. Harrison said that most of the work in private pathology laboratories remains standard pathology, such as blood tests and other pathology tests for non-COVID diseases.

He said civilian pathology welcomes movements from the federal or state governments to change the rules of PCR testing from close-contact testing if rapid antigen testing is available.

Volunteer call

Dr. Delington’s comments are after Queensland volunteers have called on Care Army volunteers to help Queensland pathology set up the COVID-19 test kit.

“Pathology Queensland offers a large number of COVID-19 test kits that are lacking across Australia,” the volunteer website said.

“Due to this supply shortage, Pathology Queensland began production of the COVID-19 test kit. This work includes capping the test kit solution.”

On Monday, Queensland recorded 9,581 new COVID cases from a mixture of 21,332 PCR and rapid antigen test (RAT), of which 3,714 were detected in RAT.

Space to play or pause, M to mute, left and right arrows to seek, up and down arrows for volume.

clock

Time: 3 minutes 36 seconds3m 36s

Loading the form …