Primary care doctors and the control of COVID-19

[...]pre-symptomatic and asymptomatic transmission of COVID-19 can undermine the effectiveness of isolation and quarantine if these measures are not coupled with rapid contact tracing and testing.4 In a recent review paper, it was found that neither absence nor presence of signs or symptoms of COVID-19 could accurately rule in or rule out the disease but anosmia or ageusia may be regarded as a red flag, and fever or cough is a sensitive indicator for identifying patients who need testing.5 In this issue of the Hong Kong Medical Journal, Leung et al6 report the findings of a cross-sectional study conducted using data collected from the first public temporary test centre in Hong Kong at the AsiaWorld-Expo. In many countries, primary care doctors are an integral part of surveillance systems for infectious diseases such as influenza.8 Similarly, well-trained primary care doctors are indispensable in the early identification and isolation of COVID-19 cases, by contributing to a successful surveillance system which can also identify changes in transmission patterns and at-risk population subgroups,9 as well as evaluate the efficacy of public health control measures.10 The cost-effectiveness of different COVID-19 testing strategies depends on the transmission scenario in the community, in addition to the cost per test.11 Reimer et al12 recommend evidence-based prioritisation of testing, where testing capacity and resources are limited, in order to flatten epidemic curves, lower values of effective reproduction number, and ease the burden on hospitals and intensive care units. Primary care doctors will require regular updates and accurate information on the vaccines to communicate clearly with their patients and public health authorities.17 A shortage of primary care professionals is associated with a higher death rate due to COVID-19.18 Primary health care has a crucial role in infectious disease epidemic management and well-integrated primary care and public health systems are vital for a cohesive response.19 Author contributions All authors contributed to the editorial, approved the final version for publication, and take responsibility for its accuracy and integrity.