Nurses have been at the forefront of Qatar’s fight against the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) ever since the virus emerged in the country.

The nursing staff has acted as a protective and preventive shield against the transmission of any infection, including COVID-19, a senior official at the Primary Health Care Corporation (PHCC) has said.

“Our nurses help protect the medical staff and all health center visitors from possible contraction of the coronavirus on a daily basis,” said

This is achieved through a set of precautionary measures taken by the nursing staff before patients walk into any health center,” Ebtisam Abdullah head nurse at the Leabaib Health Center.

She explained that this is achieved through a set of precautionary measures that the nursing staff takes before patients walk into any health center.

The measures include: a quick desk test, body temperature check, asking questions related to COVID-19, looking out for any respiratory symptoms, or symptoms similar to the infection (such as coughing, sore throat, and fever).

“In the event any of the above symptoms are detected, the patient will be treated as a suspected COVID-19 case and asked to sanitize his or her hands and to wear a surgical mask,” the head nurse described.

“They will then be admitted into the isolation room immediately,” she added.

After the admission, nurses perform further precautionary steps including checking vital signs as well as carrying out the COVID-19 swabbing test.

Following the test, the nurses guide the patient regarding further steps they need to take, including the quarantine procedure.

The nurses also make sure that patients complete the Undertaking Form. Based on this the patient is provided with a standard booklet from the Ministry of Public Health (MoPH). The booklet covers important guidelines to be used as a reference during the quarantine period.

After the suspected case is discharged from the isolation room, the nurses oversee the disinfection process, which comes under PHCC’s efforts to curb the spread of the virus.

Nurses also play an important role in making sure that patients who are home-quarantined have the support they need.

“Calls are made daily to offer patients support and to monitor their health condition while answering any queries they might have with regards to their current health status,” Abdullah mentioned.

Another significant part of the nurses’ roles is their support in raising awareness about COVID-19 among patients.

This includes reminders on practicing social distancing, hand sanitization, as well as the benefits of wearing face masks.

Recently, Hamad Medical Corporation had highlighted that almost 13,000 nurses have provided essential services to tens of thousands of patients across a wide spectrum of COVID-19 related healthcare sites in Qatar.

Here's everything you need to know about the virus, including ways to protect yourself.  To know more about testing for COVID-19, click here.

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