For the time being, 98% of the COVID-19 patients in Da Nang are asymptomatic or mildly symptomatic. Therefore, the city's Steering Board for COVID-19 Prevention and Control approved the deployment of home care and treatment for confirmed cases across the city, starting from January 1, 2022.  Home-based treatment is being viewed as an appropriate treatment model in the new normal state when COVID-19 vaccine coverage is at a high level.

Accordingly, patients meeting the standards of disease severity, caregivers, facilities according to the guidance of the Department of Health in Official Letter No. 5891/SYT-NVY dated November 29, 2021, will be receiving treatment at home under the supervision of a local medical team.

The Da Nang Health Department recommends that COVID-19 patients having home-based treatment should be equipped with a device to measure the body’s oxygen concentration. Photo: Tieu Yen

Keeping an close eye on COVID-19 patients

As a local pilot implementing home-based treatment of Son Tra District, the staff of Tho Quang Ward Medical Centre have come to COVID-19 patients’ houses to check body temperature, supply medicine, combined with monitoring via the "Da Nang Smart City" app for nearly a month now. After receiving patients’ information, medical staff here conducts screening, grasp information and give treatment advice.

Specifically, asymptomatic COVID-19 patients have their nasal swab samples taken for RT-PCR testing on the 9^th day, and finish their isolation and treatment if negative, while continuing to have their nasal swab samples taken for RT-PCR testing on the 14^th day if positive. Similarly, patients with symptoms also have a similar process as above on the 14^th and 21^st day, respectively.

If COVID-19 cases treated at home continue to be positive after the above time points, the local health sector will report to the Treatment Sub-committee, the Steering Board for COVID-19 Prevention and Control under the Department of Health for asking guidance.

Every day, the medical staff organizes outpatient examination and drug distribution, records and updates health information, provides telephone consultations and guides patients to perform appropriate physical exercises. In addition to medical staff, the Son Tra district has also mobilized schools’ medical staff or retired nurses, doctors and pharmacists to join mobile health stations and support patients’ treatment at home. Till date, the locality has established 14 mobile medical stations in seven wards with each one having at least five medical workers.

Currently, Lien Chieu District has fully prepared human resources, equipment and medical supplies and ready to deploy home-based treatment for confirmed cases according to regulations. Specifically, the Lien Chieu District Medical Centre has coordinated with the wards’ People's Committees to establish 10 mobile medical stations with the capacity of each mobile medical station to manage and treat from 50 to 100 COVID-19 patients.

Mobile health station members including staff in the district-level health centre, ward-level health stations, school health worker, youth and women's union will deploy appropriate treatment activities, as well as actively coordinate with the residential group to provide logistical support, helping COVID-19 patients to feel secure in their treatment.

People can proactively purchase COVID-19 rapid tests to protect themselves. Photo: Tieu Yen

Guaranteeing the indispensable conditions

With the aim of having consistency in treatment, the Department of Health has issued Official Letter No. 5891/SYT-NVY dated November 29, 2021, guiding the temporary isolation, care and treatment of people with COVID-19 at home or place of residence.

Accordingly, asymptomatic or mildly symptomatic COVID-19 patients having received a full two doses or one dose of COVID-19 vaccine at least 14 days since the last dose have an underlying disease, the underlying condition must be in a stable stage.

People who have not been vaccinated or received the first dose for less than 14 days since the vaccinated day must be met these conditions: children over 1-year-old or people under 50 years old, people having no underlying diseases and not being pregnant. The confirmed patients being able to take care of themselves can use the phone to communicate with medical staff. For cases who cannot take care of themselves, the family must have healthy people who know how to prevent infection to support the infected person.

Accommodations used to isolate COVID-19 patients are personal houses; In the case of staying in motels, apartments, and dormitory buildings, the regulations on Covid-19 prevention and control must be ensured, such as having a separate treatment room and separate living areas of families and collectives.

Director of Lien Chieu District Health Center Le Van Sy assessed that home-based treatment for COVID-19 patients is being strictly implemented following regulations by the health sector in Da Nang. After testing confirmed with COVID-19, the Center for Disease Control (CDC) informed the district-level health centre to make a list and assess the conditions for isolation, care and treatment at home.

At the same time, infected persons and people living in the same house have to sign a commitment to strictly comply with pandemic prevention and control measures. If they do not comply, they will be transferred to a designated medical facility and will be handled for violations according to current regulations.

Furthermore, COVID-19 infected people treated at home is monitored via the city's isolation management software, Danang Smart City application, tokhaiyte.vn, or via photos sent on Zalo and Messenger applications on the specified time frame, or whenever required by the supervisor.

According to Mr Sy’s recommend, if confirmed cases have symptoms during home treatment such as fatigue, cough, coughing up sputum, chills/spills, conjunctivitis (red eyes), loss of taste or smell, diarrhoea, coughing up blood, shortness of breath, prolonged chest pain, lethargy, muscle aches, chest indrawing must notify medical staff immediately for receiving appropriate treatment.

In the coming time, Da Nang will continue to research and develop a network of "mobile doctors" including doctors, nurses, technicians, pharmacists, medical staff at medical facilities, schools, private clinics provide online consultation and treatment support for COVID-19 patients at home.

Reporting by TIEU YEN- Translating by T.VY