Measures synchronously implemented to support home treatment of COVID-19 patients

According to statistics, in the province, more than 94% of mild patients are treated at home. Facing the increasing situation of asymptomatic F0 treated at home, the province has stepped up the overall implementation of safe and flexible adaptation measures to effectively control the COVID-19 epidemic.

Over 94% mild patients are of home treatments

In recent days as the number of asymptomatic F0 treated at home is on the rise, accounting for more than 94% of the total number of patients being treated. Mr. Nguyen Hong Chuong, Director of Department of Health, said that the province has more than 46,900 patients quarantined and treated at home. The number of patients treated at home includes the number of patients who had positive PCR and rapid tests. These are asymptomatic or very mild patients who have received full doses of the COVID-19 vaccines.

Medical staffs of Bac Tan Uyen district are promoting home caring for F0

The clinical severity of these F0 cases includes fever, dry cough, sore throat, stuffy nose, fatigue, musculoskeletal pain, decreased taste, smell, SpO2 equal to or above 96%, respiratory rate below or equal to 20 times a minute, under 50 years old, no underlying disease, and not pregnant. Home-treated F0 are capable of self-care, self-feeding, washing, personal hygiene, and knowing how to measure body temperature while being able to communicate with medical staff and self-medicating according to prescriptions.

Dr. Nguyen Hong Chuong emphasized that by monitoring severe cases and deaths in the area, it was found that the high-risk group focused on cases of COVID-19 with underlying diseases - the elderly, especially those at risk of death for having underlying diseases but stay in one place for a long time and have not been vaccinated. Analysis results for some unvaccinated and vaccinated Covid-19 patients at medical facilities showed that the vaccinated group had a significantly lower rate of severity. For this reason, many people who have had enough vaccinations are negligent and do not strictly follow disease prevention and control measures, not wearing masks, and not complying with the "5K" regulation as recommended by Ministry of Health.

Before the development of the COVID-19 epidemic and in order to safely adapt and effectively control the COVID-19 epidemic, especially the plan to cope with the Omicron variant, the whole provincial political system agreed on the opinion of controlling F0 to minimize the number of deaths and realize dual goals. Accordingly, agencies, localities and units will strengthen strict control over the implementation of regulations on disease prevention and control and replicate F0 treatment at home to reduce pressure on the health system. In the context of a low medical workforce, the health sector and localities have stepped up training on medical care for F0 cases at home and increased mobile medical stations along with the community Covid Team. The Covid-19 patient care team to promptly support F0 cases who are quarantined at home. These stations and groups need to function in essence as an extension of the medical station and mobile medical station.

Universal measures implemented

According to information from the health sector, the sector is coordinating with localities to make priority lists for caring and monitoring people over 65 years old of serious illness, kidney disease, chronic lung disease etc. No matter where the policy is made, vaccination will be repeated to increase protection for people in the risk groups. The campaign to protect people in at-risk groups will be implemented in December 2021.

Mr. Nguyen Hoang Thao, Standing Deputy Secretary of the provincial Party Committee, said that the province is promoting the overall implementation of safe and flexible adaptation measures to effectively control the COVID-19 epidemic including measures for F0 home treatment. Standing provincial Party Committee directs functional branches to continue to strengthen inspection, handling and sanctioning cases of violations of regulations in COVID-19 prevention and control as well as failure to strictly observe regulations on quarantine and treatment at home. Particularly, the Steering Committee for Covid-19 Prevention and Control at all levels has strengthened the inspection of the political system in the implementation of the province's policies and the implementation of management of the testing and treatment system of their own health authorities to function more effectively and efficiently.

The localities and relevant sectors have plans to organize management, detect and treat F0 in a timely manner. The grassroots medical system must be continuously strengthened, especially the community Covid Teams, Covid Safety Teams and mobile medical stations; in which, for every 15,000 people, a mobile medical station with 5 staffs will be arranged and each medical station must have at least 10 treatment beds attached to ensuring sufficient drugs, medical equipment and other necessary conditions for effective treatment; to reorganize the emergency system, ambulance or outpatient emergency to promptly treat and treat cases.

Nguyen Hoang Thao emphasized, the health sector advises resources to ensure COVID-19 prevention and control including urgently training a sufficient number of human resources to transfer to grassroots health care. At the district level, arrangement of a concentrated treatment area or center for patients with moderate and severe Covid-19 infections, in which attention should be paid to good care and treatment of each infection to reduce mortality, will be set up. The province will strengthen doctors to support the treatment of serious patients at the district level. However, localities also need to review, have investment plans, build treatment facilities on the 2nd floor of the triage.

Reported by Hoang Linh – Translated by Vi Bao