In the difficult period of confronting the coronavirus, the work of outpatient clinics in Zelenograd is described by Irina Yarotskaya, deputy head physician of the city hospital for outpatient work.

- Irina Anatolyevna, how much has the number of home calls increased now?

- We work in a combat readiness mode. We mobilized all our efforts for the timely detection of coronavirus infection and the provision of necessary outpatient care at home to Zelenograd residents. Up to 400 calls per day are served by our employees. Previously, at the peak periods in incidence, the maximum number of home visits was 150-180.

We regret to note that the waiting time for the response of the operators of our call center has increased. One of the reasons is calls on various issues that are completely not related to the provision of medical care at home. This distracts our employees from the main task - to quickly accept and work out the doctor’s call. We have already doubled the number of lines.

- How do our clinics work now?

- The operating mode of outpatient departments has not changed. But we suspended all the processes that provoke mass treatment of patients. We stopped the clinical examination and vaccination, closed the departments of prevention, sports medicine, rehabilitation, day hospitals, except for oncology. Reception on personal matters was transferred to the remote mode. We strongly recommend that residents stay at home. And what in fact? Many Zelenograd residents continue to go to polyclinics for any, even insignificant, reason. And no persuasion has been applied to them yet. We have no right to expel patients. We work, which means that we are obliged to provide medical assistance to citizens who apply for it.

- How should a person behave if he has symptoms of coronavirus infection?

- There are no specific signs of coronavirus, they are very similar to the symptoms that occur with influenza and SARS. Most often, patients with COVID-19 have fever, dry cough, and fatigue. There may be nasal congestion, runny nose, pharyngitis. Typically, symptoms develop gradually and are not pronounced. There is only one recommendation: if you have signs of viral respiratory infection, don’t go to the clinic. It is necessary to call a doctor at home. In severe condition, it is best to contact an ambulance service immediately.

- If, nevertheless, a person came to the clinic who suspects that he has a coronavirus, what are the actions of the doctors?

- The sick person must follow the signs of the selected route. For visitors with viral respiratory infection symptoms and fever, separate entrances, medical rooms and other conditions for taking all necessary measures are organized. If a doctor suspects a coronavirus in a patient, he must immediately call an ambulance team to hospitalize the patient in specialized clinics in Moscow.

- Is a coronavirus screening carried out - to whom and how? Are there enough tests?

- The examination is conducted for patients of all categories for epidemic or medical reasons. But!!! The main risk groups to which the analysis is shown are people living with patients with coronavirus; citizens returning in the past 14 days from unfavorable countries and living with them; patients with pneumonia and loved ones living with them; people over 60 years old and patients suffering from chronic pathology (diseases of the cardiovascular, respiratory and endocrine systems, diabetes mellitus, oncology) - in the presence of symptoms of acute respiratory viral infections; pregnant women - also in the presence of symptoms of viral respiratory infection.