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The General Councils of Dentists, Nurses, Pharmacists, Doctors and Veterinarians -all the healthcare sector- have come together to "express their rejection" of the latest protocol for action against the coronavirus issued by Health.

In a joint statement, the councils, which include more than 700,000 health professionals in Spain, point out that some of the new guidelines presented yesterday "pose a high risk against the safety of professionals and their patients."

"Some of these measures and recommendations, far from containing the epidemic and preserving public health, represent an evident risk for health workers and patients," they add.

The point of the new protocol that health professionals consider "especially alarming" is the one that refers to the incorporation into the workplace of health professionals with symptoms of coronavirus, but without fever or taking antipyretic drugs in the last three days.

The text literally says that "in the event that the microbiological diagnostic test is not performed, the worker will return to his / her job 7 days after the onset of symptoms in the absence of fever without the need to take antipyretic drugs in the last 3 days and provided that the respiratory clinic has been resolved. He will join his activity with a surgical mask until completing 14 days from the onset of symptoms, avoiding during this time contact with immunosuppressed patients. "

In the statement, the health workers are forceful in this regard: "We cannot accept, in any way, that any health professional without taking the test and with confirmed tests of negativity joins their jobs, since it represents a high risk for the population , patients cared for, coworkers and even their own health, "they settle.

The action guidelines, underline evidence, on the one hand "the absence of sufficient tests to confront the pandemic with guarantees" and, on the other hand, "the lack of necessary planning in human resources" .

"We are the country with the highest number of infected professionals in the world," they remark. "The solution of hastily reinstating infected or suspected health professionals is an unacceptable recklessness that can

cause a further increase in the spread of the virus among healthcare professionals, patients and citizens. Experiences in countries that have achieved greater control of infections show that it is essential to test healthcare professionals on a massive scale with the intention of knowing, with complete certainty and scientific evidence, who should join the job with guarantees after having suffered the infection".

The toilets conclude by recalling their repeated complaint of a lack of diagnostic tests and protective equipment, as well as the risks to which professionals are exposed.

"This measure that we denounce today not only crosses the scientific limits, but also the ethical limits of our organizations and, without a doubt, the legal limits, putting at risk not only the professional, but the citizens that they serve," reads the text.

"We need effective, effective and efficient measures to overcome the Covid-19 pandemic, we need firm and reliable leadership. For this reason, we have insistently demanded that the health authorities have the commitment and collaboration of the professions we represent. Together "We will achieve the objectives. Not one more day with a healthcare professional infected or at risk of contagion for not having means of protection," they conclude.

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