In July 2022, the epidemic of BA.5 is back from the BA.5 strain, especially in Bangkok and its vicinity, although the number of new cases reported by the CCC is relatively stable at around 2,000 per day, but that’s the total number of cases. sick who heal ‘In the hospital’, a number of infected people are being treated ‘at home’, while close ones are gradually becoming infected.
What are the symptoms of the infected person in this wave? How many days to be separated how to take care of yourself Do I have to take antiviral drugs? and is infected and still treated for free or not The answers are included in this article.
What are the symptoms of an infected person?
Most people with coronavirus have mild symptoms and resolve on their own within 5-10 days without the need for antiretroviral therapy. Symptoms of BA.5 infection are not that different from other subspecies of omikron, including:
- cough
- runny
- sore throat
- tired
- headache
- muscle pain
- Rarely, olfactory/tasteless nasal symptoms like alpha and delta species are rare.
Some infected people are asymptomatic and may be detected by ATK testing.
At present, ATK test kits can also be used to detect omikron. But whether it was a BA.2 outbreak earlier or BA.5 that had just started in June? requires genetic testing which is not necessary Because data from the World Health Organization found that BA.5 did not increase violence. And testing to separate species is time consuming and expensive.
The goal of knowing the infection is ‘isolation’ and ‘treatment’.
How many days must the infected person be isolated?
Isolation is to prevent further transmission of infection to others. Currently, the recommendations of the Department of Medicine Ministry of Public Health is 10 days from the date of symptoms or the date of infection. If after 10 days, there is still a fever. Isolate wasps until symptoms improve for at least 24-48 hours.
for hospitalized patients When symptoms improve, the doctor may stay in the hospital for 5-7 days and return to isolate at home for 10 days.
Data from a study of people with vaccinated and mildly symptomatic Omicron strain late last year. Found that the infection can be transmitted 6-9 days after symptoms or infection is detected. And data from research recently published in the journal NEJM found that the time from detection of omikron strains to incubation was 5 days (3-9 days quartile range).
So a 10 day period is the safest.
Repeated ATK testing is not recommended because a negative result does not confirm that it is not infectious.
But if you need to leave the house first They may refer to recommendations from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), which recommends 5+5 days of self-isolation, that is, 5 days at home and 5 days where you can leave the house while wearing a mask at all times. travel is prohibited and avoid being in close contact with those who are at risk of severe symptoms
Do I have to take antiviral drugs?
The vast majority of people infected with coronavirus recover on their own without taking antiretroviral medication. If the group is not at risk of severe symptoms or complete vaccinations It can be treated at home like any other respiratory infection. By taking medication to treat symptoms such as fever reducer, cough medicine, drinking plenty of warm water. get enough rest and observe the symptoms themselves If you are short of breath/difficult to breathe, go to the hospital.
Currently, the recommendations of the Department of Medicine Ministry of Health The patients were divided into 4 groups:
-
-
- No symptoms or feeling well symptomatic treatment may giveAndrographis paniculata don’t giveantiviral
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- have mild symptoms No risk factors for severe symptoms may givefavipiravir If infection is detected after symptoms have been present for more than 5 days unnecessaryneed antiviral medication
- yellow is a group with mild symptoms But there are risk factors for severe symptoms. or groups with pneumonia giveOne antiviral drug within 5 days of onset of symptoms The list of drugs used is in order:
(1) Molnupiravir
(2) Remdesivir
(3) Pax Lovid
(4) Favipiravir
- red is a group with severe pneumonia Blood oxygen level ≤ 94% giveRemdesivir and steroid medication
Note that patients in the green group do not need to take medication. So if you’re diagnosed with the infection, you can buy symptomatic medications and take care of yourself at home.
The patients in the yellow group The drug of choice was not favipiravir. This is because current data show that this drug is ineffective in reducing serious illness. Only reduced symptoms in the no-risk group if given early.
How do you observe symptoms at home?
Equipment that should be available during treatment at home is Fever thermometer and fingertip oxygen monitor The symptoms requiring hospitalization include:
- Fever higher than 39 degrees Celsius for more than 24 hours
- The oxygen level measured at the fingertip was less than 94%.
If there is no device It can be used primarily to observe symptoms, including:
- high fever
- The underlying disease has changed.
- For adults, shortness of breath, breathing faster than 25 times per minute.
- For children, difficulty breathing, lethargy, less milk or food intake.
For other symptomatic treatments such as
- Fever: antipyretic, wipe
- Cough: Cough medicine. Drink plenty of warm water. May drink ginger juice with lemon. or lemon juice with honey
- Sore Throat: Remedy for Sore Throat
- snot: nasal decongestants, nasal decongestants
- Vomiting/Diarrhea: Drinking compensatory salt water. In children, frozen nectar may be mixed into ice cream to help them eat. eat boiled rice Avoid hard/spicy foods.
Free treatment according to treatment rights
COVID patients also receive free treatment. But the patient must go according to his own treatment rights.
- Gold Patent: Primary care units include the Public Health Service Center. Warm Community Clinic District / provincial hospitals and drugstores in the project find, give away, end
- Social Security Rights: registered hospital
- Civil servant rights: all government hospitals
- Except in the case of red patients or emergency illnesses, UCEP privileges can be used at all hospitals.
Gold Patent and Social Security patients can receive Outpatient with Self Isolation (OPSI) treatment at participating pharmacies (scan the QR code in the infographic), but only in the green group.
In addition, golden patent patients can also use the telemedicine system. (Telemedicine) through the Good Doctor Technology or MorDee application, which delivers free medicines to homes in Bangkok and surrounding areas.
As for the NHSO hotline 1330, you can call to inquire about the treatment process. or if symptoms get worse Want to coordinate the bed to be treated in the hospital But it doesn’t support outpatient enrollment like it did at the beginning of the year.
In summary, the coronavirus infection during this period is likely to be the BA.5 strain, causing the number of pneumonia cases to rise again. Most of them were in the high-risk group 608, or those who had not been vaccinated or had not received a booster as scheduled. People with green syndrome can be treated and monitored at home without the need for antiretroviral therapy. to see a doctor can be treated for free at the hospital according to the right
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