I was interviewed and quoted in the article, “Poll suggests 93% of GPs have not been offered respirator fit-testing”, written by Ms Anastasia Tsirtsakis, published in newsGP.

Tsirtasakis A. Poll suggests 93% of GPs have not been offered respirator fit-testing. newsGP. 2021 July 20. Available from: https://www1.racgp.org.au/newsgp/clinical/poll-suggests-93-of-gps-have-not-been-offered-resp

Quotation

“…With COVID outbreaks resulting in lockdowns in NSW, Victoria and now South Australia, and a number of general practices listed as exposure sites, Sydney GP and RACGP Expert Committee – Quality Care (REC–QC) member, Dr Michael Tam, says the poll’s findings are ‘concerning’.

‘It really does mean that there is a very substantial risk to general practice if things get out of hand,’ he told newsGP.

‘Last year the assumption was that it was still just droplet [transmission] and droplet-type protections. But now we know that that’s probably not enough, particularly with the Delta variant.

‘Without the fit-testing, N95s are still better than nothing, but it’s chancy. For it to be demonstratively effective – and it would be the standard in other industries – if you’re going to be using a respirator … it does really need to be fit-tested.’

In contrast to other parts of the world, where GPs are overrepresented in COVID cases, Dr Tam says general practice in Australia thus far has been ‘very lucky’, attributing the low infection rates among doctors to a fast transition to telehealth and the establishment of respiratory clinics.

But he says the current outbreaks around the country are a reminder that a possible risk is always there.

‘At the moment, it’s not too bad; it’s one practice here, one practice there, one pharmacy here, one pharmacy there. But in a setting where we have a major outbreak, this could potentially cripple primary care,’ Dr Tam said.

‘And in Australia, we haven’t had a very strong approach of ensuring a PPE policy in general practice should things go disastrously, and I think it is a concern.

‘Even the distribution of masks; if it’s just one mask, it’s not useful if it doesn’t fit your face.’

Research conducted last year found a substantial proportion of Australian healthcare workers may not pass initial fit-testing, with women of Asian descent particularly vulnerable.

‘There needs to be a strategy that really responds to and accepts the notion that a substantial number of individuals working in health will need access to airborne protections and that will be access to a range of masks and also to the testing facility so that they can be fit-tested,’ Dr Tam said.

‘If an outbreak suddenly occurs, things can go pear-shaped really quickly. That’s not the time to be trying to organise your sources of PPE and trying to get fit-testing done.’”…