Question

Patient Management for COVID-19:

1. Explain the potential risks if someone is asymptomatic for this infection
2. Describe strategies to minimize transmission in health care settings
3. Define and explain the recommended precaution level (standard, transmission-based)
4. Describe treatment recommendations and rationale

Answer 1

Covid-19 is transmitted by the corona virus SARS-Cov2

Potential risk is someone is asymptomatic for this infection:

• SARS-Cov2 has it's incubation period of 1-12.5 days. If a patient who is Positive for covid-19, he will spread the virus through droplet infection or air borne until he has the virus in him. Potential risk is that if a patient is asymptomatic, we might not know whether the patient has covid-19 and remains undetected. This can be dangerous because some ofnthe studies show that an asymptomatic covid-19 patient can spread the infection through air or droplet. The studies are not very relevant but there are chances that the disease can be spread by an asymptomatic patient. So if he is Positive and undetected there would be uncontrolled spread of the disease as he takes no precaution.

Strategies to minimize spreading, Standard precaution:

standard precaution is general precautions to be used by everyone everywhere.

• Practice social distancing- keep a minimum distance of 2 meters while talking to anyone outside you family.
• Stay indoors and avoid going out unnecessarily
• Avoid social gatherings
• Always wear a mask when going out
• Use soap or hand wash everytime. Wash hands for at least 30 seconds
• Use sanitizer frequently
• Avoid touching public places or using public transport
• Avoid foods from outdoors

Transmission-based precautions are those precautions which are taken on the basis of nature of transmission of virus. They are:

• Quarantine Patients. Avoid contacting them.
• Give separate room and toilet for patients
• Quarantine people who has contact with patient
• Quarantine people coming from other places where there is diseas spread.
• Use PPE(Personal protective equipment) kit by people who are in risk o f exposure.
• Clean rooms and equipments used by patient
• Limit transport of patient

Treatment recommendation and rationale:

Covid-19 doesn't have specific treatment protocol. The main aim is symptomatic treatment.

• Give Aspirin or NSAIDs for patients with fever
• Provide oxygen mask for people who are breathless
• Anti-histaminic drugs are given for cough
• Anti coagulants are given to reduce hyper coagulability
• Close monitoring of at risk patients like patients with severe illness or those with other conditions like respiratory, cardiovascular, renal or hepatic or other conditions.
• Old age and new borns are closely monitored
• Good diet and water is very important
• Anti viral drugs approved by FDA is given for severe cases.