Gov’t to issue Covid-19 home treatment guidelines

Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | As the number of positive COVID-19 cases continue to rise in the country with many positives being stuck in their homes, the health ministry is finalizing the guidelines that people in homes must follow in handling Covid patients.

The need for guidelines comes as over 400 people that have tested positive are in their homes in greater Kampala alone and are yet to be picked up health ministry emergency teams to take them to hospital.

According to the health ministry, the guidelines will be a detailed document that will help people in different house holds to know what they can do to keep themselves safe and their households.

Dr Charles Olaro, the director of clinical services at the health ministry says the guidelines are very important now as the number of reported cases increase.

“We are admitting more people than we are discharging at the moment and some people are being forced to remain in their homes a little longer than ideal as they wait to be transferred to hospitals, they thus need to know what to do,” he said.

According to a source from the health ministry, some of the guidelines that have already been agreed upon is isolating positives in one room and allocating a care giver who is healthy and young enough not to be affected severely by the disease if they are infected. In addition to this, it will give guidance on how rooms, clothes and surfaces should be disinfected.

The guidance is scheduled to be issued later this week or early next week. However, it comes at a time when the health ministry is still reluctant to adopt a proper home care policy that will see asymptomatic patients stay home and health facilities left for moderate or severe cases.

In other countries like the U.S or United Kingdom that have adopted a home care policy for COVID-19, only patients who are critically ill and need assistance in breathing are hospitalised.

Moderate, mild cases are encouraged to remain in their homes where they are isolated from the rest of the household. At home, they are encouraged to drink a lot, eat fruits and swallow some Vitamin C or any prescribed antibiotics when needed.

*****

URN