RCGP RSC COVID-19 Surveillance
In addition to our long standing collaboration with PHE for virological surveillance and more recently serological surveillance sampling, RGCP RSC will be incorporating monitoring of the Wuhan novel coronavirus (COVID-19) into the flu swabbing scheme. Practices are following the PHE protocol and patients suspected of Coronavirus are advised not to come to the practice or be sampled.
Sampling will continue as usual in patients presenting with influenza-like illness (ILI), Acute Bronchitis or Bronchiolitis symptoms in under 5 year olds. We have also now extended this to include Lower Respiratory Tract Infections (LRTI) (ensure patients exhibiting these symptoms, within 7 days of onset, are also swabbed).
COVID-19 Observatory
We now have an observatory to track Coronavirus (COVID-19, also known as 2019-nCov). For this observatory to work, it is vital that practices code information correctly. Please see further details about coding below.
COVID-19 Observatory (Weekly return)Coding for COVID-19
The interim emergency codes related to the COVID-19 being used for surveillance is as follows:
| Category | Code |
|---|---|
| Definite case (Confirmed) | Confirmed 2019-nCoV (Wuhan) infection |
| Possible case (Investigating) | Exposure to 2019-nCoV (Wuhan) infection Suspected 2019-nCoV (Wuhan) infection Tested for 2019-nCoV (Wuhan) infection |
| Not a case (Excluded) | Excluded 2019-nCoV (Wuhan) infection |
Please can everyone who is involved in triage of patients and those who record in computerised medical records (eg. EMIS, Systm One, Vision) follow the advice below.
Please can practices:
Follow PHE guidance (which can be found here).
- If patient is suspected of having Coronavirus code as: Suspected 2019-nCoV (Wuhan) infection
- Please ask if they have been abroad in the last 28 days.
If yes, code as: History of foreign travel
Then code the actual countries they have visited.
- If patient has had contact with (“exposed to”) a person with Coronavirus code as: Exposure to 2019-nCoV (Wuhan) infection
- Someone in quarantine/self-quarantine who is getting in touch with the surgery please code relevant data
- If patient is referred for testing code as: Tested for 2019-nCoV (Wuhan) infection
- If patient has Coronavirus or if test results come back positive code as: Confirmed 2019-nCoV (Wuhan) infection
- If patient’s test results come back as negative and patient does not have Coronavirus, code as: Excluded 2019-nCoV (Wuhan) infection
