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View all search resultshe government’s spokesman for COVID-19 and new adaptation ambassador Dr. Reisa Broto Asmoro shared a few tips for asymptomatic COVID-19 patients and for those who have been declared positive but do not have serious symptoms that need immediate medical assistance.
“We are advised to self-isolate at home. But please remember that self-isolating does not mean we have to go through this without assistance,” Reisa said on Saturday.
She added that patients must stay in a separate room that allows them to avoid interaction with the rest of the family. The room must be clean and have good ventilation that enables sufficient air circulation and sunlight.
The patient must bring his or her own bathroom amenities, prayer kit and a good supply of clean water, vitamins and food supplements as well as supporting medicines.
“Please bring an oximeter with you as you will need to measure your oxygen saturation regularly. Checking your blood pressure regularly is also strongly advised,” she said.
Reisa said if the body was fit enough, then exercise should be done. The patient should not forget their phone as it will be the only connection between them and the outside world.
“Don’t forget to sunbathe for around 30 minutes daily during the self-isolation period.”
After being declared to be self-isolating, she went on, the next step would be asking for assistance from the heads of neighborhood or community units (RT/RW) or the local COVID-19 task force. They would report the patient’s condition to the nearest community health center.
Reisa added it was also vital to contact physicians using online health or telemedical services for further guidance and advice during the 10-day self-isolation period.
“Good news for Jabodetabek residents, there are 11 telemedical service providers that are ready to provide free consultation, medicines and vitamins as they have cooperated with the Health Ministry,” she said.
She warned that later it would be the doctor’s decision, not the patient’s self-assessment, to declare whether the patient was considered COVID-19 negative.
Reisa also asked both patients and family members to pay serious attention to the patient’s trash, as it required specific treatment. She said the patient’s trash such as used disposable masks should be soaked in chlorine first or be sprayed with disinfectant.
The self-isolation guidelines are deemed important as failing to comply with them could be fatal, both for the patient and those around him/her.
According to independent data initiative Lapor COVID-19, which updates any important information on the pandemic situation, 451 self-isolating patients were pronounced dead from June to July 11.
Of those, 160 were in West Java, excluding Bekasi, 81 were in Bekasi, both mayoralty and regency, and 44 were in Yogyakarta’s Sleman regency.
Co-initiator of Lapor COVID-19, Ahmad Arief, suspected the reported number of deaths among self-isolating patients was just the tip of the iceberg.
“We have been informed by the Jakarta Health Agency that every day 45 self-isolating patients die in the capital. This is huge and we should pay serious attention to it,” Ahmad, who is also a journalist, said according to Media Indonesia.
Commenting on the huge number of deaths among self-isolating patients, Dr. Alexander K. Ginting of the COVID-19 task force said many patients misinterpreted self-isolation as a hiding period, during which they were not to inform their neighborhood unit head about their condition, let alone their physician and were simply to hide from the crowd.
“The patients must think that hiding from the crowd with limited resources is enough. Many of these patients end up going to a hospital after their condition deteriorates and we just do not have the time,” he said as quoted by kompas.com.
Therefore, he encouraged COVID-19 patients not to hesitate in seeking assistance as early as possible to prevent their condition from becoming fatal.
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