In a strong effort to reduce pressure on COVID-19 treatment facilities, Da Nang authorities have recently activated home-based treatment and quarantine of patients with COVID-19 (F0 cases). If people infected with SARS-CoV-2 who have received a 2-dose course or 1 dose of COVID-19 vaccine suffer from any underlying diseases, they must be in a stable condition to be eligible for home treatment. So far, this model has created comfortable psychology for people to feel more secure in treatment.

Da Nang C Hospital staffer administers the first dose of COVID-19 vaccine for an elderly in-patient. Photo: D.H.L

According to the regulations adopted by the Vietnamese Department of Health, making a list; assessing and appraising conditions; making a medical record for treatment of F0 at home; performing home-based F0 treatment; monitoring isolation, treatment at home; the end of home-based isolation treatment are 6 steps of the process of isolation, care and treatment of F0 at home.

Ensuring safe home-based treatment for COVID-19 patients

The first thing that needs to be bear in mind when being treated at home is that infected patients must have relaxed psychology and strictly isolate from family members and follow the 5K regulations. Patients also need to consume adequate nutrients normally and moderately, measure regular blood pressure and then report to medical staff every 3 days.

Tho Quang Ward, Son Tra District is the leading locality to activate the Mobile Medical Station to treat COVID-19 patients at home in Da Nang. Since the station has deployed training, prepared staff, equipment, and medicine according to the plan of the health sector, medical staff here are not passive and organize status assessment and daily health monitoring for patients as soon as activating this model to treat confirmed patients.

After receiving new COVID-19 patients for home-based treatment, the health centre will update the patient's information, organize a Zalo group to let create a place for patients and ward-based medical staff to interact, exchange and share information about health and treatment counselling.

Taking medicine that matches COVID-19 symptoms

As shared by a COVID-19 patient who had experienced home-based treatment in District 9, Ho Chi Minh City, the first thing patients need to do for effective home treatment is to have the sauna for their face twice a day at home.

In the morning, patients should put the crushed garlic in boiling water, inhale via the nose and exhale through the mouth. In the evening, they should add smashed lemongrass, crushed ginger and a little salt into boiled water and then have a sauna.

Secondly, they should drink warm water, regularly keep the body warm and apply medicated oil to the nose.

Thirdly, patients also should clean their eyes, nose, mouth with salty water 3 times a day.

Fourthly, drink hot ginger tea after having the sauna with garlic in the morning 30 minutes after eating.
In addition, COVID-19 patients can drink fresh coconut water with crushed fresh ginger, alum sugar after boiling at noon to receive vitamins, helping reduce fever and keep the body warm.

Try to keep the nose clean, especially perform inhalation via the nose and exhale through the mouth to prevent the virus from attacking the lungs faster.

It should be noted that patients having any symptoms should take medication to treat that symptom and try to exercise regularly for at least 30 minutes per day.

Losing taste is a common symptom facing COVID-19 patients so they should try to eat more food, especially fruits containing various vitamin C to strengthen the body resistance.

After recovering from the COVID-19, patients need to eat nutritious food and take drugs to detoxify the liver.

Moreover, many people over the age of 35 often experience shortness of breath after the illness is over; so, they need to practice breathing to improve their health.

Meanwhile, another patient in Binh Thanh District, Ho Chi Minh City also said that COVID-19 patients should take fever reducer when being feverish, take cough medicine when coughing, especially drink a lot of orange juice and not drink iced water to avoid suffering sore throat.

Apart from that, people with underlying medical conditions need the support of medical forces to respond promptly.

As for those being unable to take care of themselves, the family needs to have healthy people who have knowledge of caring for infected people and know how to prevent infection to support COVID-19 patients.

Reporting by DOAN HAO LUONG- Translating by T.VY