90% COVID-19 cases treatable at home

More than 90 per cent of those recovering from COVID-19 in Oman were able to do so without going to the hospital, a senior doctor from the Ministry of Health has said.

According to the latest data issued by the ministry, 750 of the total of 2,568 people infected by the novel coronavirus in the Sultanate have successfully recovered from the disease. Twelve people have died from COVID-19.

According to Dr Mariam Al Hinai, a consultant family physician at the Ministry of Health, the vast majority of cases in the country required no hospitalisation. At present, only 65 COVID-19 patients are in hospital, while a further 17 have been admitted to intensive care units (ICUs).

"Most of the COVID-19 cases in Sultanate are being treated at home and almost 90 per cent of recovered cases have done so from home with no need to be hospitalised," she explained.

“This does not mean we can neglect the precautionary measures in place, because the presence of even one infection affects normal work patterns in hospitals, because of the preventive measures that we need to follow to protect other patients and medical staff from infection."

“In-patients admitted due to the coronavirus are those who show risk factors because they suffer from chronic diseases, or are pregnant women, or have other conditions due to which the doctor examining them decides to get them admitted,” added Al Hinai. “When a suspected patient comes to a health centre, there is a sterilisation desk at its entrance, where he/she is advised to sterilise the hands and given a surgical mask to wear.”

Patients who go to the health centres for COVID testing have their symptoms checked, as well as their medical history and details of past travel. They are also asked if they’ve been in contact with others who’ve been infected by COVID-19 and other diseases. If a person’s case history and medical symptoms do suggest the presence of coronavirus, they will be taken to an isolation room in the corner of the health centre.

Should the person test positive for COVID-19, the examining doctor will classify the intensity of his disease as one of three conditions: mild, moderate and severe.

“This assessment will guide the doctor to refer the case for further evaluation and management by specialised teams in hospitals,” explained Mariam Al Hinai. “The hospital will be contacted regarding the case and infection prevention and control measures will be adopted while he is taken there in an ambulance. If the patient’s situation is mild or stable, he will be sent home and advised to obey strict medical isolation measures. Treatment for the symptoms present will also be provided. The results of the swab tests done to check the presence of COVID-19 are normally available two days after they’re conducted. Patients are informed of the results of their tests once their doctors have received the results.”

Despite the impact of COVID-19 on the economy and society, Al Hinai feels there are many lessons people have learned from the presence of and precautions taken against coronavirus.

“From what I’ve seen, people have become more aware of the need to clean their hands while entering or leaving public institutions such as banks and other areas. They understand what we mean, when we say that social distancing is one of the most basic steps for public safety."

"Parents have become more aware of the health symptoms that may appear in their children and will treat them at home, particularly when there is no need to visit a doctor. In the past, patients came to hospital with more than one accompanying adult and other children, but now the patient comes with just one companion,” she added

“The unity and solidarity we’ve seen at this time is really appreciated,” she said. “At the ministry call centre, we receive many calls every day from volunteers who offer us their help and we in turn refer them to those charities that would be happy to receive their assistance."