MEASURES TO HELP ENSURE SAFE, EFFECTIVE HOME CARE
In August 2020, medical front-liners sounded the alarm over “a losing battle against COVID-19.” Daily new cases were under 5,000, a far cry from the over 10,000 cases now.
Over half of hospital beds in the country are already occupied by COVID-19 patients. This prompted calls for home care in suspected and most confirmed cases.
“Because the healthcare capacity is extremely challenged and because the majority of the cases are expected to be mild, home care needs to be an option,” Dr. Anna Lisa Ong-Lim said on April 10, during “What To Do When COVID Hits Home” MiniStreams on Facebook, organized by Santuario de San Antonio Parish’s PGH Ministry.
Mild and asymptomatic cases, nearly 99 percent of total cases, are unlikely to need hospital care and can, thus, self-isolate. Moderate cases also qualify, except when over 60, smoker, obese and suffering from some noncommunicable diseases, as per World Health Organization.
Ong-Lim, a professor at the College of Medicine of the Philippine General Hospital, outlined measures to ensure home care keeps the person under isolation safe and does not cause a contagion. We list some here.
1
Isolation is for people who tested positive; quarantine is for people under observation after exposure. Both need to be separated from the household. Isolated persons must avoid contact for at least 10 days after symptoms first appeared plus three days without fever. Quarantined individuals must avoid contact for 14 days since the last contact with a COVID-19 patient.
2
Patients must stay in a separate room with good airflow. The door must stay closed. Ideally, the isolation room has a bathroom en suite. If not, shared spaces must be well-ventilated and sanitized after the patient leaves. A safe delivery system must address daily needs, like food.
3
Materials used by or on the patient must be discarded properly if disposable, or cleaned appropriately if reusable. All waste must be packed in strong bags and closed completely.
4
Linens, toothbrushes, tableware and towels, among others, cannot be shared. All cloth must be bagged without shaking, and then laundered with soap and water.
5
Prepare a home care kit: PPEs; cleaning and disinfection supplies; medications for fever, cough, colds and preexisting conditions; and items to monitor vital signs.
6
Patient is ideally self-sufficient. Where assistance is needed, assign a healthy caregiver. They must wear at least a face mask and face shield when helping. They must socially distance when entering the isolation room and practice hand hygiene frequently.
7
Caregiver must monitor patient once to thrice a day, seeking help from professionals when case worsens. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shared warning signs: trouble breathing; persistent pain or pressure in the chest; new confusion; inability to wake up or stay awake; pale, gray or blue-colored skin, lips or nail beds.
8
If the caregiver is a layperson, they must maintain communication lines with medical professionals and public health workers for guidance.