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Parliamentary inquiry
The Consumers Health Forum of Australia (CHF) are providing a submission to the Parliamentary Inquiry into Long COVID and Repeated COVID Infections. They are requesting the views and experiences of health care providers and their patients to contribute to their submission. A consultation session will be held at 3.30pm on 19 October, click here to register.
COVID care in the community
The COVID-19 Positive Community Care and Treatment pathway supports health professionals in the management of COVID-positive adults in the community, including in aged and disability care facilities. It contains information on the prescription of antivirals and the Murray PHN funded face-to-face home assessment and monitoring service.
If you have a patient who is located in Albury, Towong, Bendigo, Heathcote, Quambatook/Pyramid Hill, Kerang or Robinvale who has a positive COVID result and is managing their symptoms at home but requires escalation of care to avoid hospitalisation, they may be eligible for this service - view the referral section of the pathway for details
COVID+ pathways
The COVID Positive Pathways Program is delivered by Victorian health services, through community health services and hospitals, in collaboration with Aboriginal health services and other providers, and coordinated by the Victorian Department of Health. The program will continue to support all people living with COVID to manage symptoms, access care and to be COVID-safe.
While the program continues to connect most people with usual care, changes that came into effect on 30 September mean that the program now primarily focuses on supporting those who experience barriers to accessing care or need support to recover, including the following priority population groups:
- Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders
- People aged 80 years or older
- People living with a disability or a carer of a person living with a disability
- People needing assistance to isolate safely at home
- People living in rural isolated communities
- People of refugee or asylum seeker status.
People who test positive by PCR will be sent a link via SMS to complete a new assessment survey to allocate them into usual-care or the COVID Positive Pathways Program. Please encourage patients who test positive by rapid antigen test to register their result via this online form or by calling the Coronavirus Hotline on 1800 675 398.
Health Service Partnerships (HSPs) will play an important role to support integration and escalation pathways between health services and primary care. An overview of the Covid Positive Pathways for the Murray PHN region is available here.
GPs can contact their regional COVID Positive Pathways program if they are concerned about a COVID positive patient to discuss whether monitoring, care and social support through the program is appropriate. To access the 'Factsheet for Referrers' contact Covid+pathways@health.vic.gov.au
Further resources can be found on the Victorian Department of Health website here.
COVID-19 antivirals
Last week, Professor Paul Kelly, the Chief Medical Officer, issued a letter of thanks to Primary Care Providers for aiding the successful rollout of oral treatments. He also reminded providers to pre-assess suitability for COVID-19 antivirals wherever possible, discussing advanced consent. There is no limit to prescribing subsequent courses if an eligible patient tests positive again.
The Victorian Virtual Emergency Department (VVED) can prescribe COVID-19 antivirals to Victorians who return a positive result and can’t get a GP appointment or access a GP respiratory clinic. The VVED can assess patients, determine their eligibility for COVID-19 medications, and prescribe these medications. More information can be accessed in flyers for healthcare professionals and patients.
For resources including a list of local dispensing pharmacies (updated 29 August), visit Murray PHN's antiviral webpage.
Changes to pandemic management
From midnight tonight, Victoria’s pandemic declaration will end. Victorians will no longer be required to isolate after testing positive to COVID-19, with isolation for positive cases now strongly recommended. More information here.
Removal of mandatory isolation rules in NSW begin on 14 October. Some restrictions will still apply for high-risk settings such as healthcare and aged care facilities, more information will be available soon.
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