Guidance of Department of Health for F0 Caring at Home

1. Identify F0 isolating at home

• Making list of F0 isolating at home in the district, ward by the quarantine function management system of quarantined people and COVID-19 patients.
• Managing F0 who self-declare on the app by self-testing and those who have suspected symptoms but have not reported to the COVID-19 community.

2. Guidance for health care at home

• Wear mask regularly except when eating, drinking, and personal hygiene. Change mask twice a day or disinfect hands with alcohol before removing the mask.
• Regularly disinfect hands, objects, and surfaces of countertops, doorknobs, toilets, lavabo, etc.
• Measure body temperature, blood oxygen level (SpO2) at least twice a day or when having fever, shortness of breath. Make medical declaration at least once a day or when having unusual symptoms.
• Eat nutritious food, drink plenty of water.
• Exercise, practice breathing for at least 15 minutes a day.
• Contact medical staff in need (the switchboard 1022, the phone number of the quick response team of wards, communes, towns, districts, Thu Duc city).
• All members living with F0 must make health declaration at least once a day.

3. Medical examination and health monitoring

• The health station makes the health monitoring sheet of isolated persons at home based on the daily medical declaration. Through the sheet, medical staff call/text to visit and screen for risk symptoms, promptly inform the rapid response team of the ward, commune, district to transport them to hospitals.
• The mobile medical team (belonging to the medical station) visits suspected cases' houses in the high-risk group (the elderly alone, people with mental illness) to promptly bring them to the hospital.

4. Home treatment prescriptions instruction

Medicines for home treatment include antipyretics, health-promoting medicines (vitamins, micronutrients, traditional medicine), antivirals and anti-inflammatory corticosteroids, and oral anticoagulants in indications (follow Ministry of Health's instructions when using antiretroviral drugs).

Indications for using oral corticosteroids and anticoagulants: patients with early symptoms of respiratory failure (shortness of breath or respiratory rate > 20 breaths/minute or SpO2 < 95%, if any) and can't contact medical staff for guidance.

5. Testing for F0 isolated at home

Take home samples (rapid test or PCR) for F0 on day 14 to prepare for the end of the isolation period.

Instruct caregivers or people who live with F0 that have suspected symptoms of COVID-19 of going to a health facility for screening tests.

6. Health advice and emergency support for F0 isolated at home

If you have any of the following symptoms such as fever over 38ºC, cough, sore throat, diarrhea, loss of smell/taste, chest pain, chest heaviness, shortness of breath, contact healthcare provider via call center 1022 (dial 3 for advice from the Medical Association of Ho Chi Minh City or 4 for advice from the Companion Physician).

When there are signs of serious change such as shortness of breath, rapid breathing more than 30 times/minute, lethargy, cyanosis of lips, extremities, SpO2 < 95% (if there is a Sp02 measuring device at home) then immediately contact hotline 115 or phone call the ward, commune, district quick response team for emergency treatment.

Previously, on August 11, the Department of Health of Ho Chi Minh City issued guidance to take care COVID-19 patients at home. It clearly states that oral anti-inflammatory and anticoagulant medicines can use for COVID-19 treatment with indications.

Instructions for home treatment of COVID-19 by the Department of Health of Ho Chi Minh City