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36 COUGHS & COLDS THE COLD WITH A NOVEL OTWIST By Nerine Zoio. nce again pharmacies are being inundated with people suffering from the aches, pains, fatigue and congestion that come with the cold season. However, with the advent of the deadly COVID-19 and mass fear of infection, pharmacists and their assistants are facing the season with sharpened awareness and even more of a role in helping patients maintain perspective and calm. How can pharmacists tell the difference between COVID-19 and a common cough or cold? Dr Rebekah Moles, Associate Professor at the University of Sydney School of Pharmacy’s Faculty of Medicine and Health, tells Retail Pharmacy Assistants that pharmacists should focus on a patient’s history in terms of where they have been before presenting with fears they might have coronavirus. “Questions asked should include whether they’ve been overseas or whether they’ve been around people who’ve been overseas recently,” she said. Pharmacists, she adds, should diligently keep abreast of ever-evolving information related to the virus. “Obviously, the world is panicking at the moment about coronavirus, and fear arises whenever someone coughs or sneezes,” Dr Moles said. “For the most part, symptoms could be similar to a cold or flu early on, so history is RETAIL PHARMACY ASSISTANTS • MAY 2020