Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare (THL) and Satakunta Hospital District have updated their instructions concerning the corona virus situation.
At the moment there are approx. 450 confirmed cases of corona infections in Finland. Most of the COVID-19 cases have been with travellers to Finland and infections they have passed on. Majority of the cases, approx. 80-90%, have been mild and can be treated at home. It is expected that approx. 10-20% of the cases require hospitalisation/ intensive care. The death rate is predicted to be around 2-3% of the infected. The data is still uncertain.
We are preparing for a wider epidemic and the Finnish Government has stated together with the President of Finland that due to the corona virus there are exceptional circumstances in the country. Therefore, there are guidelines for distance learning at schools, quarantine of the elderly over 70, avoiding face-to-face gatherings, banning visits to nursing homes and hospitals, with a few exceptions, and distance work being used everywhere, where it is possible.
The estimated incubation period is about 2-12 days, on average 4-5 days. The virus has been found to transmit from person to person via respiratory droplets or physical contact. The best way to protect oneself from any respiratory infection is good hand hygiene.
If you suspect that you could have been infected by corona virus, take the test in the following address to receive further instructions in your case.
Criteria for taking corona virus samples (and the order of priority in testing):
1. Respiratory infection requiring hospitalisation, unless, based on clinical picture and findings, another reason for the respiratory infection can be determined
2. Healthcare and social welfare personnel, if they have symptoms of acute respiratory infection (fever, cough and/or laboured breathing ) AND the following criteria are met:
• If the employee has had close contact with a confirmed COVID patient OR has him-/herself returned from a trip abroad within the last 14 days, the sample is taken
• If a patient’s family member, who is presenting respiratory symptoms, has returned from a trip within 14 days AND the employee develops symptoms, the sample is taken
o If the symptoms are severe, the sample is taken
• If the respiratory symptoms of an employee continue/get worse for 2-3 days, the sample is taken.
3. If a respiratory infection epidemic is suspected in a nursing home and the cause is not identified, based on the consultation of the hospital district infection unit, samples can be taken from 1-3 patients to exclude the epidemic.
4. Based on the epidemiological situation and resources, COVID-19 sampling can be done on a patient who has symptoms of acute respiratory infection (fever, cough and/or laboured breathing) AND has stayed abroad OR has been in close contact with a laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 case within 14 days before presenting the symptoms.
5. A patient with mild symptoms, who is severely immunocompromised OR is pregnant and probably gives birth during the next few weeks AND shows symptoms of respiratory infection, such as fever/cough/laboured breathing
6. At the discretion of an infectious disease doctor in individually prescribed cases.
A laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 case will be placed in isolation according to the Communicable Diseases Act for 14 days or a longer period of time, if the clinical picture requires it. Generally, people living in the same household can be easily tracked and they are in great danger to be contracted. These people are tracked and quarantined for 14 days.
Please, contact the healthcare always by phone. Säkylän terveyskeskus (Säkylä Health Care Centre) serves Monday 8-18 and Tuesday-Friday 8-17 in the number 02-8329255 (Tuesday 15-17 evening reception in Kepola terveysasema/Health Centre). In the phone call the caller’s situation is assessed individually and he/she is given instructions for home care and if needed he/she is asked to come the health care centre. If the situation changes, please, contact the healthcare centre or outside opening hours Satasairaala or in case of emergency call the emergency number 112. Non-urgent care will be given, where possible, mainly over the phone as distance appointment, other appointments are postponed to be arranged after the epidemic season, except for pregnancy and regular child health clinic visits for babies of one year old or younger.
The goal with reducing the number of appointments to the only necessary ones is to prevent spreading of infectious diseases.
The epidemic is being monitored and the website and Facebook of the municipality is updated constantly.
Below the link to the THL page “ajankohtaista koronaviruksesta”(“updates on corona-virus”).