To strengthen the care of people with suspected COVID-19, start treatment and cut the chains of contagion, the Mexican Institute of Social Security (IMSS) put into operation a QR code that will allow people to go to the Attention Modules Respiratory Social Security (MARSS) answer a questionnaire that will facilitate medical diagnosis.
Dr. Héctor Raúl Vargas Sánchez, head of the IMSS Family Medicine Division, explained that the strategy is applied in the 3 thousand 49 MARSS located in Family Medicine Units (UMF); If people do not have a device to use the QR code, the filter doctor will identify the symptoms.
He explained that at the entrance of the Modules, people will find a blanket with the QR code, which they must scan with their mobile phones to answer a basic questionnaire about the symptoms and immediately identify if they have data on this disease.
He stressed that the QR in the MARSS will strengthen the attention of the people who come to rule out if they have symptoms of the disease caused by the SARS-coV-2 virus; Once the questionnaire has been answered, the doctor will provide guidance on the symptoms, and where appropriate, will send a rapid test.
He indicated that in case of presenting symptoms of coronavirus, a rapid test will be carried out: if it is negative, the person may go home; If the result is positive, a doctor will give an assessment to determine whether you should treat your illness at home (on an outpatient basis) or in hospital.
He said that in the case of outpatients, a kit with medications will be delivered only to people with risk factors and chronic-degenerative diseases to counteract fever and discomfort, face masks, a brochure on the care they should have at home , and an oximeter to regularly monitor oxygenation. In addition, they will be followed up by telephone by their family doctor.
In the case of patients with severe symptoms, they will be referred to a Social Security hospital so that they can be treated as soon as possible, explained Vargas Sánchez.
“It is important to go to the Respiratory Care Modules to identify the COVID data and identify if the person has precisely this disease. It is very important to identify the symptoms, people should be alert if they have a sudden fever, severe headache, cough, chest pain, shortness of breath, severe joint pain, severe chills, in the last seven days , body pain, muscle pain ”, he indicated.
The head of the IMSS Family Medicine Division commented that since the implementation of the MARSS, the number of infections and hospital lethality have been reduced, since the patient is identified in time if he has serious data and is offered a follow-up narrow by one of the family doctors of the IMSS.
The intervention of the MARSS during the pandemic has been key to breaking chains of contagion in the waves that have occurred in the country, where 11.5 million consultations have been made for respiratory diseases and of which 1.2 million have been to follow up to cases.
“We have had impacts, first, from identifying patients with COVID so that they can have isolation at home, and with this reduce infections; and the other, the remote monitoring provided by our doctors from the Mexican Institute of Social Security ”, he said.
He said that they are working on a strategy to implement the MacroMARSS to increase the coverage of care for the right to have access and to identify patients in time through a medical evaluation and to be able to isolate them at home to avoid contagion.
Dr. Héctor Vargas stressed that these spaces will help increase attention and it is planned to open shortly in the IMSS Representations in North and South Mexico City, and in Eastern and Western States of Mexico.
“Even though the Institute is prepared, even though we have the Respiratory Care Modules, we cannot lower our guard, we must continue with the use of face masks, wash our hands, keep a healthy distance and get vaccinated because that is what we it will help prevent ”, he stressed.
“The most important thing right now is to prevent these infections and if you have symptoms, go to your Family Medicine Units to the Respiratory Care Modules,” he reiterated.
In case of COVID-19 symptoms, especially in older people with chronic degenerative diseases, they should go as soon as possible to their medical units or the MARSS to be evaluated by a specialist doctor and to determine if they should treat their disease on an outpatient basis or hospitable.
In the case of the population that presents mild symptoms such as cough, fever, headache or throat, it is recommended that they isolate themselves at home and redouble health measures: correct use of a face mask, hand hygiene, cough or sneeze label , avoid touching eyes, nose and mouth, healthy distance, monitor their vital signs and reduce mobility to break chains of contagion.
For more information, the population can locate their closest MARSS through the page www.imss.gob.mx/marss and medical advice by telephone through 01 800 2222 668.