According to Thailand’s Public Health Ministry on Monday, asymptomatic COVID-19 cases in Bangkok, Nakhon Pathom, Pathum Thani, Nonthaburi, Samut Prakan and Samut Sakhon will enter a “Home Isolation” program, under remote supervision by medical personnel as a direct result of the hospital bed shortage in and around the capital.
Home isolation is for people under 60 years old who test positive for the coronavirus but are asymptomatic, generally in good health, live alone or with no more than one person, are not obese or suffering from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), chronic kidney disease (CKD), heart and blood vessel diseases, cerebrovascular disease or stroke, serious diabetes or other conditions that doctors may deem to be serious.
Recommendations during home isolation include no home visits, avoiding physical proximity with elderly people and children, with at least two metres distance being observed, staying in separate rooms from others, refraining from sharing objects and eating with others, opening the windows, wearing masks at all times when leaving the room, washing hands when physical contact and contact with common objects cannot be avoided, separating laundry from others and using a separate toilet. If this is not possible, the patient should be the last one to use the toilet.
Asymptomatic cases are also required to take their temperature and observe their condition daily. If they begin to develop symptoms that prevent them from undertaking their daily routine, immediate contact with the hospital that holds their medical records is recommended.
Deputy Health Minister Satit Pitutacha said that he has discussed, with the private sector, the development of technologies that can ensure effective home isolation, including tracking, reminder notifications and oxygen and temperature reports.
The National Health Security Office (NHSO) will pay 1,000 baht a day per head, to cover three meals a day, to be delivered by the patient’s supervising hospital, and another 1,100 baht a day per head for medical equipment.
Those who do not exhibit any symptoms will be given fah talai jone (Andrographis Paniculata) extract and those beginning to develop symptoms will be prescribed Favipiravir. (NNT)
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