Recovering at home: How the scheme works

More fully vaccinated patients will be able to recover at home should they get infected with Covid-19.

With such individuals mostly showing mild symptoms or none at all if infected, the Ministry of Health announced yesterday that it would expand home recovery as the default care management protocol for more fully vaccinated individuals.

This will take place from Wednesday, following an encouraging pilot involving 21 patients.

The Straits Times takes a look at how the scheme works for those who are vaccinated.

The scheme will be progressively expanded to include vaccinated Covid-19 patients up to 50 years old who are considered medically eligible.

Patients must have their own room with an adjoining toilet. Alternatively, they can stay alone in a house.

The patient must not be living with any vulnerable person, including anyone who is above 80 years old or is pregnant. Members of the household the patient is living in must also be fully vaccinated.

A fully vaccinated Covid-19 patient will have access to telemedicine services round the clock. The patient will have to report health readings such as temperature, pulse rate and oxygen saturation regularly.

Household members who are close contacts of the patient will be put under home quarantine, and must adhere to requirements such as staying home.

They should avoid contact with the patient, who should take precautions such as wearing a mask when opening the door to place laundry outside the room.

Since Tuesday, the length of isolation for fully vaccinated Covid-19 patients has been shortened to seven days into their illness, should they have undetectable or very low viral loads.