How does COVID19 affect patients considering elective surgery?
No one wants to suffer a viral respiratory event, let alone one that has the potential for harm of COVID19. However, there is good guidance as to what is appropriate in order to avoid an elevtice surgical procedure and the risk of viral infection. Sensible public health recommendations have been issued for a number of groups of people related to the risk of COVID-19 infection.
- People who have been in, or transited through, mainland China, Iran, South Korea or Italy in the last 14 days OR who have been in contact with a person with confirmed COVID-19 while infectious must selfisolate for 14 days following last contact.
- People who have travelled to any other countries in the previous 14 days must monitor for symptoms of COVID-19.
Onset of COVID-19, and any severe viral infeciton, during recovery from an operation is likely to complicate recovery and prolong the hospital stay, as well as expose health care workers who would then have to be excluded from healthcare work:
https://www.health.nsw.gov.au/Infectious/diseases/Pages/coronavirus-elective-outpatient-guidance.aspx#elective
Please stay updated on the coronavirus and public health notifications here. The public hospital system has cancelled elective surgery in several hospitals and this policy has been implemented to ensure that hospital resources are availaible to deal with the pandemic projections that COVID-19 may become.
UPDATE: (June 30th 2020)
Commensurate with the ongoing low rate of community transmission, low hospitalisation and strong testing rates for COVID-19 in NSW, as of 1 July 2020, we will be able to return to 100% of normal surgical activity levels, or as close to normal activity levels as is safely possible.
This increase will continue to sit within the principles confirmed by the National Cabinet in mid-May including adequate PPE and ICU capacity.
If you are concerned about the implications for upcoming surgery then please call us on 0293604811