The situation of Covid-19 is severe these days, with rapidly increasing number of infected people. Khon Kaen University thus came up with the Home Isolation Management System to assist Srinagarind Hospital of the Faculty of Medicine, KKU, so that more patients can be accepted into the hospital’s system and more normal patients can receive their treatment as usual. After the start, a lot of Covid-19 patient cases could be discharged, demonstrating that the system is satisfactory.
Assoc. Prof. Warissara Luweera, M.D., from the Faculty of Medicine, KKU as the doctor in charge of the system revealed that there are 2 cases for Home Isolation Care: First, the patient is isolated at home from the first start after the test is positive and secondly, the patient returns home after staying in the field hospital for 7-10 days until nearly complete recovery. At home, the patient has to be isolated and follow the regular instructions from the doctor and nurse provided online.
“Home Isolation is simple and brings effective result. The patient can be quarantined at home until Day 14. Doctors and nurses find it easy to work, for the contact is completely online by means of mobile phone or computer. At the set intervals, the patient reports the body temperature, blood oxygen, which are evaluated by the doctor team whether these are normal or not. Besides, the doctor can give instruction and suggestion through the system. The patient can also contact the doctor all the time.”
In accepting a patient to the Home Isolation system, Assoc. Prof. Warissara said that it must be in accordance with Thailand criteria. The patient must be younger than 60 years old, does not have congenital disease, is in the green patient group, has no symptom or has only minor symptom. The patient’s home must be evaluated and must have the communicating device so that he/she can contact the doctor team effectively. If the patient meets all this criteria, he/she can enter the Home Isolation system. Therefore, those accepted in the system usually are working-age groups and students.
“Home Isolation patients who have not been treated at the hospital up to 14 days can continue to be treated at home until Day 14. The doctor and nurse of KKU will follow-up the patient by tracing the location. We tell the patient to stay in the house only so that the community around will not be under risk. The house must not accommodate a lot of people. The patient may live alone or with just one more person, who has to separate him/herself from the patient. The patient will stay in his/her room, which should be fully furnished with toilet and other facilities so that there will be no contact with the others in the house. Contact between the patient and the other members in the house should be by means of the communicating system and should avoid direct contact, or else a mask should be worn and a distance of 2 meters observed.”
Miss Waraporn Naboon, a Covid-19 patient who was accepted to the Home Solation system said that after recovery or after 14 days, she went home and lived normally in the community. But she had to observe the new normal way of living. She was the first patient in the Home Isolation of the Faculty of Medicine, KKU. She was happy with the system that could reduce the load of the medical team and that the patients with severe symptoms could be admitted.
“After being told of the positive result, I prepared myself to stay in the hospital for 14 days. On the first day, I was admitted at Srinagarind Hospital, then was moved to the field hospital and stayed there for 11 days. The important thing was to reduce bed occupants. Then I heard about this project and thought I should be under the category, for I had no temperature. So I asked to be isolated at home so that someone who had severe symptom could tale the bed and got closer to the nurse.”
After the doctor approved, she went home and strictly followed the doctor’s instruction. “The doctor called and gave instruction about staying with others, about dropping wastes, alcohol spraying and others. Then I was given the oximeter and thermometer in a set. There were other things like garbage bags for personal use, regular medicine, masks, alcohol spray. I confined myself at home for 3 more days, wearing masks all the time. Everywhere I went I would spray the alcohol. I used 3 bags to put my garbage, tied the bag well, sprayed it with alcohol and left it for 3 days before takin it out.”
“The doctor team took very good care of me. I checked the blood oxygen and temperature in the morning and sent the information online. The doctor then asked daily questions like worries and stress, people I met, where I went, or whether there was food catered from the hospital for every meal. When they catered they would hang it at the gate. There was a menu for me to choose, too. I felt safe. If there was anything irregular, the doctor would worry first.”
“We could be sure that we would not spread the disease when staying home. So patients in the green type can be isolated at home. There is nothing to worry at all. What is different is that we do not meet the nurses. But staying home is relaxing. There are more beds left for others too.”
During the time when the number of Covid-19 patients is high, KKU’s Home Isolation is another choice and is an innovation. What was said by the user would assure the system, which is another hope of the patient to be able to receive treatment.
If interested, get more information of Home Isolation, Khon Kaen University from: https://homeisolation.kku.ac.th/
Or visit: https://th.kku.ac.th/71567/