- Stage four of the pandemic is where there is wide community spread of the virus, with unconnected multiple clusters of the disease. Dr Charles Olaro, the director of curative services at the Ministry of Health, said with stage four cases identified, it may represent 10 to 15 per cent in the community, and thus it is not feasible to track and institutionalise all confirmed cases in the community.
“Asymptomatic patients or those with mild disease or those who are not at risk of developing severe disease can undergo home-based isolation and care not to overwhelm the health facilities,” a document provided by the ministry reads in part.
The document explains that for one to undergo home-based care and isolation, they must have been assessed by a designated healthcare worker or a health assistant.
The patients must also stay in a separate room and limit movements in the shared areas such as bathrooms, toilet, and kitchen.
They must always practice infection prevention and control while at home and accept to be monitored by the healthcare workers for at least 14 consecutive days from the date of the test while in isolation.
The ministry is opting for home-based care for such Covid-19 patients because at least 28 districts have entered stage four of the Covid-19 pandemic.
The disease has been confirmed in at least 95 of Uganda’s 136 districts. A number of districts are slowly progressing towards stage four of the pandemic.
