Treating Our Patients with COVID-19

The Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) outbreak is still evolving globally and remains a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC). Like many other home health agencies around the world, AVATAR is preparing to respond to additional cases and possible widespread transmission of the disease.

AVATAR shares a collective responsibility to act to protect ourselves, our communities, and the most at-risk among us. There is no need to panic. Washing your hands (frequently, and thoroughly with soap and clean running water or alcohol-based sanitizer), wearing a face mask and/or covering your nose and mouth with a tissue or your elbow when coughing or sneezing, maintaining social distancing and avoidance of unnecessarily touching others, and seeking medical care if you have a fever or trouble breathing are all simple measures we can adopt to keep ourselves and our loved ones healthy.

What are the symptoms of someone infected with Coronavirus?

It depends on the virus, but common signs include respiratory symptoms, fever, cough, shortness of breath, and breathing difficulties. In more severe cases, infection can cause pneumonia, severe acute respiratory syndrome, kidney failure and even death.

Is there a treatment for Coronavirus?

There is no specific treatment for disease caused by Coronavirus. However, many of the symptoms can be treated and therefore treatment based on the patient’s clinical condition. Moreover, supportive care for infected persons can be highly effective.

What percentage of patients with COVID-19 need to be hospitalized?

Most people (about 80%) recover from the disease without needing special treatment, and for the majority – especially for children and young adults – illness due to COVID-19 is generally minor. However, for some people it can cause serious illness.Around 1 in every 5 people who are infected with COVID-19 develop difficulty in breathing and require hospital care. People who are aged over 60 years, and people who have underlying medical conditions such as diabetes, heart disease, respiratory disease or hypertension are among those who are at greater risk.

What is the recovery time for the Coronavirus disease?

Using available preliminary data, the median time from onset to clinical recovery for mild cases is approximately 2 weeks and is 3-6 weeks for patients with severe or critical disease.