FDue to the evolution of the epidemiological situation within the national territory, the Ministry of Health has taken the decision to update the protocol for the care of patients with COVID-19. Details of this update were communicated to regional directors of health through a circular dated Tuesday, August 5. Main novelty: the possibility of home care for asymptomatic cases, with the aim of relieving the reception capacity of hospitals.
Conditions concerning the asymptomatic patient
Thus, the document indicates that home care concerns first of all patients without any risk factor, namely: an age over 65 years, asthma and chronic respiratory diseases, arterial hypertension, diabetes, pathological obesity, organ failure, cancer, or any immunosuppression. On the other hand, the asymptomatic patient must have a ” well ventilated single room“, Not to suffer from any mental disorder, and to be” deemed capable of complying with the recommended precautions “And capable of” report any clinical sign to the treatment team« .
The document also recalls that the care decision is a ” decision of the local health authority, with the support of the territorial authority“. Moreover, this decision ” is taken within the framework of a committee which must include the head doctor of the health center or his representative, the social worker and a representative of the territorial authority« .
Conditions for people living under the same roof as the asymptomatic patient
The circular also specifies the guidelines to be followed by people living under the same roof as the asymptomatic patient being cared for at home. The first of these being that ” these people must leave the home, throughout the patient’s care and isolation period (14 days)“. If it is impossible to comply with this first measure, ” these people must be considered close contacts and rigorous medical monitoring of their state of health must be carried out on a regular basis« .
In the presence of vulnerable people under the same roof as the symptomatic patient cared for at home, that is to say, people with one or more of the risk factors mentioned above, ” these people must leave the home during the entire patient care and isolation period ”. Likewise, if it is impossible for vulnerable people to leave the home, “lhe Covid-19 patient must be taken care of in a hospital structure, preferably unconventionale ».
Home care process
The document also specifies that the management of asymptomatic patients at home includes standard curative treatment and this ” according to the protocol in force” , but also ” awareness of adverse effects and barrier and hygiene measures« , “Daily telephone monitoring in search of the appearance of symptoms of Covid-19 (and) adverse effects of treatment”, as well as “Installation of the Wiqayatna application, and possibly other similar applications”.
Finally, the circular also lists all the barrier and hygiene measures to be observed at home. Among these: the avoidance of intra-family contact, a minimization of the use of common spaces and systematic disinfection of sanitary facilities, or the use of strictly individual meals and utensils.
The document also recalls that the methods of detecting the virus are as follows: consultation at a public or private healthcare structure, follow-up of contacts, screening activities, and telephone calls (allo eve, allo 141 , allo 300).
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