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Home recovery is now the default care management model for Covid-19 patients.

Responding to media queries on home recovery, the health ministry said that Home Recovery now accounts for up to 40 per cent of cases every day.

Patients are admitted to hospitals and CCFs if they are 80 and above, 70 and above and not vaccinated, or they have underlying illnesses.

Here are some frequently asked questions about home recovery and testing positive for Covid-19.

I have tested positive on an ART test kit but have no symptoms. What do I do?

You should self-isolate. Asymptomatic individual who test positive using an ART kit need not rush to a hospital emergency department to get tested for Covid-19, Director of medical services Kenneth Mak said.

You may visit a nearby Swab and Send Home clinic for a PCR swab.

Alternatively, if you are able to self-isolate at home for at least 72 hours, you should do so.

During this time, you should monitor your health and recover safely without spreading the virus to anyone else.

At the end of the 72 hours, you should do another ART test. If it is negative, you can have a "peace of mind" that you have recovered from the infection and may "progressively resume" normal activities, Mak said.

I have been informed my PCR test for Covid-19 is positive. What happens next?

You can expect to receive an SMS with a link to provide your details, to start your Home Recovery safely. If unsuitable, MOH will make the arrangements for you to recover at a community care facility or hospital.

Who is eligible for Home Recovery?

To ensure that hospital beds to go those who need it most, Home Recovery is the default mode of recovery for fully vaccinated individuals, who are:

• Aged 12 – 69 years old
• Have mild or no symptoms
• Have no severe co-morbidities or illness
• Household members should not include elderly (more than 80 years old) or individuals in the vulnerable group (e.g. pregnant individuals, with weakened immune response or with multiple co-morbidities)
• Able to self-isolate in a room, preferably with an attached bathroom

No one has contacted me yet to start home recovery or to recover at CCF. What should I do while waiting?

The surge in cases has caused delays.

According to the Ministry of Health, they are currently streamlining their operations and will get to you as soon as possible.

In the meantime, please isolate yourself in a room in your home, preferably with an attached toilet, wear a mask if you have to come out of the room.

You will be receiving an SMS providing more information on what you should do during Home Recovery. Try not to call quarantine hotline, MOH hotline, QSM hotline etc – this will just further jam up the system.

Ask your household members to self-register for an eQO.

You will be issued an Isolation Order for 10 days.

What happens if I develop symptoms throughout my Home Recovery?

If you are not feeling well and experience worsening of symptoms such as fever, cough, sore throat, runny nose, headache, muscle ache or tiredness or diarrhoea, you can call your designated telemedicine provider.

I have yet to receive my home care pack, who should I inform?

The key item is the oximeter to monitor the oxygen level in your blood. A home care pack is only delivered to you if you don’t have an oximeter at home.

If you require a home care pack, call your Home Recovery buddy. We will deliver it to you using contactless delivery, no different from when you are ordering food delivery.

I am running out of ART test kits for myself and my household members under home quarantine. Who can I contact for more ART test kits?

There is no need to take ART tests if you are on Home Recovery.

For those under QO, ART kits are given to you when you go through your quarantine entry swab at the clinic or test centre.

There is sufficient nationwide stock of ART kits. However, it will take a few days for the stock to be distributed to the various shops.

Please wait for a few days before going back to the shops to check. Or arrange for friends, relatives to obtain from shops and delivered to you.

If I and my household members are not allowed to leave home, how can we get our food, groceries or medical supplies (including children medication)?

Try to order groceries and food that can be delivered to your home. If not, please get help from your relatives, family members and friends.

As for medicine, access the 24/7 telemedicine service. If you need medication, it will be sent to you.

When can I be discharged from Home Recovery?

No discharge memo is needed. If you are feeling well, you are discharged on Day 10 of illness. There is no need for further PCR tests because vaccinated individuals are extremely unlikely to be infectious by this time.

More information

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Top photo via Annie Spratt/Unsplash