Can we talk about Guidelines for Home Care of Confirmed COVID-19 Cases?
The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control published the following guidelines in July 2020 to support stakeholders in managing Covid-19 cases at home.
According to MyMediacalBank,the home care guidelines provide specific guidance on who should receive care at home and how family members and caregivers can stay safe, where home care is appropriate. It also defines the circumstances in which homecare is not advised. There are Interim Guidelines for Home Care of Confirmed COVID-19 Cases.
Key Recommendations for Health Care Workers
• If hospitalization is not feasible, consider home care for patients with no symptoms, mild symptoms or for patients without concern for rapid deterioration as determined by a managing physician.
• Contacts should be advised to monitor their health for 14 days from the last possible day of contact.
• Home care may also be considered when in-patient care is unavailable or unsafe (e.g. capacity is limited, and resources are unable to meet the demand for health care services).
• Health care personnel should review the health of contacts by phone, and in person if feasible. Provide instructions to contacts on what to do if they become ill.
• If home care is provided, ensure follow-up and care by a family member; If and where feasible, a communication link between the patient and health care provider and/or public health personnel should be established.
• Clinical judgment should be used and informed by an assessment of the patient’s home and environment by a trained health care worker, if and where feasible.
• Educate patients and household members about personal hygiene, infection prevention and control (IPC) measures, and how to care for the patient.
Key Recommendations for the patient the at household level
• Remain isolated and limit contact with all other people, including household members, until all symptoms have resolved and until the patient has a repeat negative test and/or a healthcare worker has cleared the patient
• Ensure you stay in a well-ventilated single room
• Limit movement in the house or minimise shared space
• Ensure shared spaces are well ventilated
• Follow cleaning and disinfecting guidance at home
• Limit the number of caregivers
• Seek care urgently if there is a change in your condition
This article is an extract from the publication produced by Nigeria Centre for Disease Control.
