Home Care Guidebook: For Mild COVID-19
Home Care Guidebook: For Mild COVID-19
Home Care Guidebook: For Mild COVID-19
STAY
AT HOME
TABLE OF CONTENTS
1 Categories of COVID-19
6 Home Quarantine
8 Happy Hypoxia
19&20 Post-COVID-19
24 Useful Numbers
IMPORTANT NOTE:
Please refer to your MySejahtera application on your phone for:
• Performing self-assessment on you and your family members’ health status
• Monitoring the COVID-19 outbreak in the country
• Assistance in getting treatment if you are infected with COVID-19
• Locating nearest hospitals and clinics for COVID-19 screening and treatment
1
CATEGORIES OF COVID-19
According to the Ministry of Health, there are 5 categories of COVID-19
infections:
YES YES
Is it more transmissible? Are we concerned?
The World Health Organization • A s older age groups get
(WHO) has called this highly vaccinated, those who are
contagious variant of the virus younger and unvaccinated
“the fastest and fittest”. individuals will be at higher risk
of getting COVID-19. A recent
study from the United Kingdom
YES showed that children and
Do the vaccines adults under 50 were 2.5 times
work against it? more likely to become infected
with Delta.
The vaccines still work well at
preventing severe COVID-19
• Unvaccinated individuals are
and death. Breakthrough
at high risk of poor outcomes,
cases do however occur.
and large spikes in cases will
burden our healthcare system.
HOME ISOLATION
COVID-19 patients can only be monitored at home if they
• are able to abide by home isolation guidelines;
• have telephone access and are contactable at all times;
• not living with other house occupants who are immunosuppressed;
• have a suitable caregiver at home;
• have personal transportation to and from the hospital in case of emergency; and
• prohibit visitors from entering their homes
01 STAY HOME
Remain indoors and request help
from household members, friends, or
delivery services to perform errands.
02 ISOLATE YOURSELF
Stay in a separate room, preferably
with an attached bathroom. Avoid
physical interaction with other
household members, and strictly no
visitors.
03 RESTRICT MOVEMENT
Limit movement around the house
and avoid shared spaces like
kitchens, toilets, and sitting areas as
much as possible.
04 MASK UP
Wear a 3-ply mask at all times when
you leave your room or when physical
distance cannot be maintained.
4
06 DON’T SHARE
Use separate eating utensils, crockery, toiletry, and bedding unshared with
other household members. Wash utensils or crockery with warm water and
soap. Dry them in a separate area.
07 MAINTAIN HYGIENE
Clean and disinfect frequently touched surfaces several times daily.
08 DISCARD WASTE
Pack waste in tightly sealed garbage
bags and dispose of it immediately.
09 UPDATE MYSEJAHTERA
Report health status daily via the
MySejahtera app and attend to phone
calls by healthcare provider.
10 MONITOR YOURSELF
Stay updated about your current health
state by committing to a daily
self-monitoring checklist via the Home
Assessment Tool (refer page 6).
5
Cough
*Fever
Loss of taste
Loss of smell
Diarrhoea
Lethargy
Myalgia
*Chest pain
*Worsening of lethargy
eg: struggling to get out of bed
NOTE:
i) *RED FLAGS - If present, this indicates a MODERATE CAT 2. You ii) You are not required to fill out this form if self-monitoring of
are advised to inform your nearest PKD to seek further health status has been done through the MySejahtera
assessment at CAC or the nearest hospital. application.
6
HOME QUARANTINE
You need to be quarantined if you have been in close contact with a confirmed
COVID-19 case as per following conditions:
• Healthcare-associated exposure without appropriate PPE (including
providing direct care to COVID-19 patients, working with healthcare workers
infected with COVID-19, visiting patients, or staying in the same close
environment of a COVID-19 patient)
• Working together in proximity, sharing the same room or space with a
COVID-19 patient
• Travelling together with a COVID-19 patient in any kind of conveyance
• Living in the same household as a COVID-19 patient
WHAT TO DO
Monitor
for
5 6
Watch out for fever,
cough, shortness of
If symptoms arise,
get tested immediately
7
symptoms. breath, or other again. Otherwise, test on
symptoms of Day 13 of your 14-day
COVID-19. quarantine period.
AFTER QUARANTINE
• Continue to watch out for symptoms
• If you have symptoms, immediately self-isolate and get tested for COVID-19
7
Purple-blue lips
Breathing difficulty
or fingers (Cyanosis)
If you or someone you know develop any of the above, seek immediate
medical treatment.
NOTE: This list is not all possible symptoms. Please call your medical provider for any other
symptoms that are severe or concerning to you.
8
HAPPY HYPOXIA
The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic
holds many mysteries. Among the
more baffling has been the
frequency of happy hypoxia – or the
proper medical term, silent hypoxia.
What is an
oxygen concentrator?
This medical device takes in air from
the atmosphere, filters out nitrogen
and then delivers pure medical-grade
oxygen to users. The process provides
a higher amount of oxygen needed for
oxygen therapy. This is suitable for
individuals who require supplemental
oxygen due to respiratory issues.
CHECKLIST
Disposable tissues, antibacterial Support system, e.g.
wipes, and sanitisers friends or relatives
to drop off groceries
First aid kit with a or supplies
thermometer and
paracetamol (to reduce fever) Healthy snacks
FEVER
Take Paracetamol 1000mg every 6 hours, not exceeding 4 times per day.
RUNNY NOSE
Take antihistamine whenever necessary, but cannot be more
frequent than 3x/day. You may also try nasal decongestion sprays.
SORE THROAT
Use Thymol or Difflam gargle 15ml 3x/day and you may try
taking lozenges or gargling with salt water.
COUGH
Take cough syrup as per needed, but not more than 3 times a day.
A good nutrition is crucial especially when the immune system might need to
fight back. Tips to stay healthy through food:
• Limit salt, sugar, and fat intake.
• Stay well hydrated by drinking water instead of sugar-sweetened beverages.
• Avoid drinking large amounts of strong coffee or tea, and especially
caffeinated soft drinks and energy drinks. These may lead to dehydration
and can negatively impact your sleeping patterns.
• Avoid alcohol or reduce your alcohol consumption. Alcohol affects your
mental state, thus making you more vulnerable to falls or injuries. It is also
known to increase symptoms of depression, anxiety, and fear, which can
intensify during isolation and self-quarantine.
For optimal health, it is also important to remain physically active. Here are
some tips and examples of home-based exercises that require no special
equipment and can be done with limited space:
Relax. Activities.
Close your eyes, relax Don’t rely heavily on the
your body, and television and
concentrate on your technology. Instead,
breath. Remain in this engage in new hobbies,
position for 5–10 minutes, e.g. crafting, drawing
to clear your mind. and reading.
12
IMPORTANT NOTE:
Always consult a doctor to ensure your physical limitations aren’t pushed to
the extreme.
15
3
AND DO NOT REUSE
THE PPE ITEMS
8
16
Scrub your
hands for
at least 20
seconds
Respiratory Hygiene
• Cover your mouth and nose
with a tissue when you
cough or sneeze OR Cough
or sneeze into your elbow.
• Turn away from others when
sneezing or coughing.
• Throw the used tissue into a
closed waste bin and
perform hand hygiene.
17
NOTE: Older adults and people of any age with serious underlying medical conditions are at higher risk
for developing more severe illness from COVID-19. People at higher risk of severe illness should call
their doctor as soon as symptoms develop.
Call a doctor if the person keeps getting sicker. For medical emergencies,
call the Sunway 24-hour Telemedicine Command Centre at +603-7491 9191
or WhatsApp +6019-388 3281.
18
Protect yourself
• Masks are recommended for people with COVID-19 at home and to protect
those providing direct care to them.
• If you are at risk of more severe disease or outcomes, you should not care for
someone with COVID-19 (if possible).
• Frequently monitor your health for COVID-19 symptoms while caring for the
person who is sick.
19
POST COVID
Respiratory
Gastrointestinal • Breathlessness
• Abdominal pain • Cough
• Anorexia and
reduced appetite (elderly) Cardiovascular
• Diarrhoea • Chest pain
• Nausea • Chest tightness
• Palpitations
Musculoskeletal Dermatological
• Joint pain • Skin rashes
• Muscle pain
20
Soreness, redness
• Apply icepack or cold-water
or itching at the
therapy over the injection site
injection site
z
z
z z Weakness and
fatigue
• Get adequate rest
• Keep well hydrated
• Take painkillers as needed
Muscle or
joint aches
However, individual immune responses vary. Lack of reaction does not mean
the vaccine is not working.
24
USEFUL NUMBERS
Keep these numbers as a quick guide to refer to, be it for
emergencies or for other types of medical attention you may need.
The public can now reach our healthcare team at our new 24-hour
Telemedicine Command Centre (TCC), which is managed by a team of
experienced and qualified medical officers and nurses to assist patients with
any enquiries.
Reviewed by:
Dr Tan Lian Huat (Infectious Disease Specialist)
Find us on social media!
Dr Seow Vei Ken (Emergency Specialist)
Produced by:
Corporate Communications, Sunway Healthcare Group SunwayHealthcareGroup