Portugal has already entered into a “exponential growth phase of the epidemic”From Covid-19 announced this Saturday Marta Temido, who anticipates that the next few weeks “are going to be tough”. The Minister of Health also appealed to parents and young people – because “if behaviors do not change the NHS [Serviço Nacional de Saúde] you can’t take it ”.

Among new measures – such as the obligation for all hospitals to receive infected patients or the postponement of all non-urgent consultations – and appeals – to young people and parents who want to leave their children with their grandparents, Marta Temido and Graça Freitas, director-general Health, traced the state of the epidemic in Portugal. What is changing and what should be changing in the fight against the new coronavirus.

The Government is preparing a “redesign of treatment flows” and has announced a set of new measures to be applied in the new growth phase of the epidemic:

With the increase in the number of cases, situations where the treatment of the disease will be done at home will be extended. From now on, when a patient is diagnosed with Covid-19 and the symptoms are moderate, he is sent home – with “home hospitalization” being activated. If the symptoms are severe, the patient stays in the hospital.

The so-called referral and second-line hospitals will no longer be the only ones to receive infected patients. “All hospitals must receive Covid-19 patients“, A measure that will be operational from Monday, announced Marta Temido.

The laboratory capacity for carrying out tests will also be expanded, and the Government is considering two models: “Testing at home when possible or new centers just for carrying out tests”.

Also early next week, non-urgent consultations will be canceled, maintaining assistance to children and pregnant women, but “allowing what is not urgent activity, at this stage, to be postponed”. Some hospitals were already applying this measure, which will now be widespread across the country. “We need the structures to focus their responses on serving Covid-19. We need to ensure that professionals are not exhausted for tasks that can be postponed“, Said Marta Temido.

The situations in which health professionals have to wear personal protective equipment will be extended.

The Deadlines for prescriptions for chronically ill patients will be extended, “To avoid having to go to the doctor” frequently.

Health professionals who will have to work and have children will, as has already been announced, be able to leave their children in certain schools. The objective is that “no one is harmed by the activity they perform”. In addition, the Government recommends that, between two parents, if one of them is a health professional, the other should stay at home.

Infarmed recommends that, in pharmacies, care is provided to the wicket (through the security window), “when it is understood that it is the best solution to protect professionals”.

Faced with reports of a lack of personal protective equipment in hospitals, Marta Temido guaranteed that “stocks are being strengthened”. Rui Santos Ivo, president of Infarmed, assured, in turn, that there are two million reserve masks and that there are also fans. And that new acquisitions were made, according to the priorities of the Ministry of Health. “We are building a strategic reserve.”

“It is very important that everyone collaborates and that people understand and transmit to family and friends that, if we are in a moment of restraint and an appeal to social isolation is maintained, it is a practice to be taken seriously. It is important that this is respected and that spaces that are being closed have the civic spirit to collaborate and to refrain from functioning ”, warned Marta Temido.

Feared even made a “appeal to everyone’s civility“In fighting the disease because, if it doesn’t,”the health system will not be able to respond and the epidemic curve will continue to rise“.

Graça Feitas, the General Director of Health, left appeals to protect the elderly: asks to drastically restrict the visit to the elderly at home, the most vulnerable population. To the parents, he warned: “The use of grandparents to stay with children is not a good alternative at this time”.

The elderly are the most vulnerable population. We want families have restraint in home visits. The less contact there is from the outside to the inside, the better in this difficult and transitory phase ”. And more: “Parents who have young children, this time the use of grandparents is not a good solution because they can get infected through these contacts with their grandchildren and family”.

The appeals extended to young people: “whenever you leave, think that when you return home can infect older people in the family they live with ”. “We are not imposing mandatory isolation but there is a minimum of consideration. Because if a young person gets sick it can cause death to his great-uncle, great-aunt, grandmother, or grandfather ”.

In addition, whoever has symptoms, “should not go to work” and should call the Saúde 24 line.

If these calls are not fulfilled, and “if behaviors do not change, the NHS [Serviço Nacional de Saúde] won’t take it“, Dramatized Marta Temido.

According to the latest official report, Portugal has 169 infected with Covid-19. The country is in the “exponential growth phase”, in line with other European countries, and the Government does not know when the country will reach its peak.

“We are on the upward curve, we do not know how long this upward movement will last. This behavior of the curve depends on the adhesion of each one of us ”, said Marta Temido, questioned about when Portugal will reach the peak of the epidemic. “The next few weeks are going to be tough,” added the minister.

A survey is being carried out with public and private hospitals – and, reported the Observer, from veterinary hospitals – the number of available fans. It is also compiling figures on nurses who are trained in intensive health care so that they can be mobilized.

Graça Freitas also left the guarantee that treatment with patients with the new coronavirus is not being given priority. “What defines access is the severity of the patient”, he assured. The Director-General of Health also added that DGS is receiving several contacts from health professionals, namely retired people, who are available to support in the fight against Covid-19. “The lists are identified”, so that each professional can then be placed in a service according to their profile and capacity.