Covid19 and Home-Based care: Is it working?

 

On June 21, 11 days after the Ministry of Health launched home-based care guidelines for Covid-19 patients, Muthee Wa Mwangi went on his daily morning run. 

Later that day, he learnt that 550 Covid-19 patients had been discharged from hospital to continue with recovery at home. The Cabinet Secretary for Health Mutahi Kagwe announced that they had been discharged after 14 days in hospital because “it is difficult to spread the virus after that.”

For Muthee, it was just another day and just another announcement from the Ministry of Health. He had seen a PDF of the home-based care guidelines forwarded in a WhatsApp group, but he didn’t pay much attention to it.

The next day Muthee developed symptoms – morning chills, fever and a slight cough – that he attributed to the cold from his morning run. After three days of symptoms, he sought medical attention. While his chest was clear, a test showed that he had a chest infection. He was put on antibiotics, cough syrup and paracetamol and sent home to recover. Four days into treatment, his symptoms persisted. He returned to hospital and this time round, the doctor recommended a Covid-19 test. It was positive.

“I was ready to be admitted to hospital for treatment, but the doctor who called to share the Covid-19 test results told me the hospital was full and advised me to consult my employer,” he says.

His employer referred him to their company doctor, who did an assessment on whether Muthee’s home was conducive for home-based care. 

Being referred for home-based care is dependent on meeting certain conditions spelt out in the Home-based Care Guidelines for Covid-19 Patients: a positive Covid-19 test, no underlying health conditions and no household members with underlying health conditions. Moreover, a suitable home should have no pregnant women, elderly persons or children under the age of two in the household. It should also have access to an isolation space, preferably with a separate bathroom for the patient.