The official website of the World Health Organization and its official accounts on the communication platforms published an update of the guidelines for medical care workers, explaining how to care for Covid-19 patients, who suffer from mild symptoms at home, especially with the global outbreak of the Omicron mutant, which is distinguished from other mutations by simple symptoms. Similar to the flu.
The list of basic guidelines for medical staff to adhere to the following:
1- Ask the patient to remain in isolation, preferably in a separate room with good ventilation.
2- Make sure there is a good flow of fresh air in the room and open windows where possible.
3- Ask the patient to minimize close contact with others (family members or visitors).
4- If the patient is within one meter of others, he must wear a protective mask, and medical care providers must wear all means of protection, including masks, head coverings and gloves.
5- Wash and sanitize your hands regularly.
6- If the patient suffers from a high temperature (fever), he can be treated with antipyretics such as Paracetamol.
7- There is no need to use antibiotics unless there is a suspicion of a bacterial infection. In areas where there are other endemic diseases, such as malaria, tuberculosis and dengue fever, the protocol used routinely for treating fever is followed.
8- Ask the patient with chronic diseases, such as diabetes or high blood pressure, to continue taking his medications on time.
Nutrition and fluids
The list of instructions directs that medical staff are keen to encourage patients to consume sufficient quantities of drinking water and fluids, good nutrition and to get some rest when needed, but it is possible to resume physical activities at an appropriate gradual pace whenever possible and available, and to support the patient’s psychological and social needs, Like listening carefully to his needs and concerns and addressing them.
Ask the patient to watch for worsening symptoms, such as chest pain, rapid breathing, difficulty breathing (at rest or while speaking), rapid heartbeat, palpitations, confusion, change in mental status, or other emergency signs, and to seek emergency help According to the protocols followed locally in each city and country.
For severe cases
If the patient is at risk of severe COVID-19, the oxygen saturation should be monitored with a blood oximeter at least twice a day. And if the oxygen level in the blood is less than 90%, he must quickly call the emergency to get the necessary ambulance.
But if the percentage is between 90% to 94%, the patient should call the emergency, as this percentage can be an early sign of the deterioration of the condition of a person whose lungs were in a normal state. The patient can then start receiving oral corticosteroids.
emergency sign:
Shortness of breath or shortness of breath
Acute respiratory crisis
Cyanosis (i.e. the blue color that appears on the skin or mucous membranes, which is formed as a result of low oxygen saturation in the blood)
• Shock (ie reduced delivery of oxygenated blood to body tissues)
• coma or convulsions
Risk factors for the elderly:
• The person must be over 60 years old
• Hypertension
• diabetic
• heart disease
Chronic respiratory disease
• hard breathing
Chronic kidney disease
• Immunodeficiency (including acquired immunodeficiency)
• dementia
• mental disorders
• cancer
Danger signs among adults and teens:
At risk among adults and adolescents, early signs of pneumonia, such as fever, cough and shortness of breath, as well as any of the following symptoms:
Respiratory rate less than 30 breaths per minute
• severe shortness of breath
• Blood oxygen level less than 90% in normal room air and in a state of rest
Among the danger signs for children:
As for children, the clinical signs of pneumonia such as coughing and difficulty breathing in addition to at least one of the following symptoms:
central cyanosis
less than 90% oxygen
severe shortness of breath (such as gasping or snoring)
Inability to breastfeed or drink fluids, lethargy, loss of consciousness, or convulsions
Respiration rate >60 breaths/min at less than two months old, more than 50 breaths/min over 2 months to 11 months old, and more than 40 breaths/min at ages 1-5
A critically ill COVID-19 patient has acute respiratory distress syndrome, sepsis, septic shock, acute thrombosis, or other conditions that usually require life-saving treatments.
Care must be taken when diagnosing or concluding that a patient has a severe case of Covid-19 when a reading of 90% appears on the blood oxygen saturation scale. For example, a physician must determine whether a low blood oxygen saturation is a sign of a serious condition or is a normal indicator of a patient with chronic lung disease.
Conversely, a saturation of between 90% and 94% in normal room air (for a patient with normal lungs) can be an early sign that the patient may have a severe condition, especially if the patient’s indicators are in a downward trend. Generally, if there are any doubts, it is safe to consider the condition severe.
Prescribing supplemental oxygen therapy or oxygen tubes must be at home, then it must be done by the doctor and under the supervision of a qualified nurse, with the need to adhere to the use of condensers provided by the health authorities. Instructions for use must be followed and kept away from any flammable sources.
stone lifting standards
The quarantine can be lifted from the patient (i.e., ending the isolation period or stopping following strict precautionary measures to prevent the spread of infection) without the need to repeat a test or analysis in the following cases:
• After 10 days, for symptomatic patients, plus at least 3 additional days without symptoms (eg fever, respiratory symptoms).
• After 10 days, for asymptomatic cases, from the date of the positive SARS-CoV-2 test result.
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