Effective Saturday July 17 the City of Kigali and eight other districts will be placed under a 10-day lockdown. As a result of the new restrictions, various government institutions have issued new guidelines. With a surge of cases the government has opted to introduce Home Based Care where patients who tested positive for Covid-19 but with mild symptoms can stay home and recover from there. Dr. Menelas Nkeshimana, the Team Lead for Covid-19 Case Management at Rwanda Biomedical Centre, gives us 6 tips on what you can do to stay safe while taking care of a Covid-19 patient at home. 1. Open windows Everyone who is home should keep in mind that every day they should open their windows, doors and have a well ventilated home, this will not only help the patient to get more fresh air but also reduce the virus transmission to family members, as explained by the health professionals. 2. Apply all the Covid-19 SOPs at home The standard operating procedures include wearing a face masks, social distancing and regularly wash of hands, among others, these guidelines should always be followed while at home with a Covid-19 patient “Everyone already knows the Dos and Don’ts when it comes to Covid-19. The only remaining thing is applying these guidelines at home. They should properly put on their masks, wash the cloth masks, and also proper hygiene. They should make sure everything is thoroughly cleaned with soap and water,” he said. 3. Isolate the Covid-19 patient The Covid-19 patient should isolate and limit all contact with other people in the house as much as possible. “isolation starts with self-discipline of the patient, everyone who tests positive should know that it is their responsibility to protect their entourage, and they should do it without any supervision and understand they should not be a hazard to their loved ones they live with, the patient should have their own utensils and their own space,” he added. 4. Limit all movements of the patient Some patients might have errands to run, need to buy something. This should not happen. People who live with the patient should help in doing that, because this will help in stopping the spread of the virus in case the patient meets other people out of his isolation. 5. Have a strict organisation in the household and follow it The first thing is to have a well detailed plan of what to do for the patient, plan for his or her own space and put all the necessary regulations in the home. “Some households might find it hard to observe these guidelines especially when it involves children who want to see their parents in isolation, but they should sit them down and talk to them about the situation and how critical it is to follow the rules for everyone’s safety.” Nkeshimana said. 6. Monitor the Covid-19 patient closely but safely Monitoring the patient means regularly checking on them to see if they need help, providing the right diet for them, or seeing if their condition is not getting any worse. Community Health Workers working in their village should immediately be alerted in case the situation gets worse, and part of their job is to keep in touch with the patient, measure their oxygen levels, making sure they take all their medications and all the first hand health care they can provide. “I urge everyone to have contacts of their CHW. It has been established that most people do not have these contacts yet they are key front liners in the fight against Covid-19 and they can provide health care for patients in their homes, but also help in alerting the responsible authorities when they need help.” He added. Every Village is assigned four Community Health Workers.
