Da Nang plans to start a pilot programme for mildly ill COVID-19 patients to recover at home within December in line with the recommendations of the Ministry of Health, as part of its gradual shift towards living with the disease.

People will qualify for the home isolation scheme if they have mild or no symptoms, and can be isolated from the rest of the household.

In its efforts to ensure successful implementation of the city’s pilot scheme, the health agency has issued the guidance for home isolation for mildly ill COVID-19 patients.

COVID-19 patients will be eligible for the home isolation scheme if they meet the following requirements:

- They must receive a positive COVID-19 PCR test result.

- They have mild or no symptoms.

- They have their positive PCR test at least 14 days after vaccination..

- They are stable patients with underlying health conditions.

- If the patients have not yet been vaccinated or received just one dose, they must be over 1 year old or under the age of 50 with no underlying conditions.

- The patients are not pregnant.

The patients are required to be able to care for themselves

- They can perform daily self-care tasks such as eating, bathing, oral-facial hygiene, and personal care.

- They can monitor their health with accurate body temperature measurements, and take their medications as prescribed by a doctor.

- They can consult with healthcare workers to seek medical advice and requirements or seek a higher level of care in hospital if their symptoms deteriorate.  

If the patients are unable to care for themselves, their family must assign their members acting as caregivers who have adequate knowledge of how to properly care for infected patients, and take proper precautions to reduce their chances of contracting COVID-19. However, the number of caregivers should be limited.

In order to successfully self-quarantine to recover from COVID-19, the patient requires access to a separate room in a separate home or flat where the person should self-isolate.

A warning sign which has yellow letters on a red background must be displayed in the front of the place where the patient is self-isolating in order inform others stay away from such property. In addition, local medical helpline numbers should be displayed on this sign. An appropriate disposal of healthcare waste must be available for healthcare workers who visit to conduct check-ups and COVID-19 testing.

The patient who is eligible for the home isolation scheme, should be given the following advice:

+ Stay in a separate room away from other people in your home and ensure it is well-ventilated and ideally has a window you can open.

+ Room type air conditioning unit is recommended

+ Central ventilation system is not feasible

+ Use a separate bathroom and it should be cleaned regularly

+ Protect yourself and the people you live with by cleaning your hands frequently throughout the day

+ Wash your hands with warm water and soap for at least 20 seconds

+ Alternatively, use alcohol-based hand sanitiser applied to clean hands

+ A personal thermometer should be available for you.

+ Use a household cleaner that’s active against viruses and bacteria to clean and disinfect commonly touched surfaces. Common household products like detergents and bleach are effective for this.

Ask the people you live with to help by bringing your meals to your door, helping with cleaning and by giving you space.

Other members in your home must wear surgical masks and other personal protective equipment for infection control such as medical gloves, goggles and more when they are forced to come into close contact with you.

It is strictly forbidden to bring belongings of the quarantined person out of the isolation area.

Reporting by T.V – Translating by H.L