JAKARTA - Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin said not all COVID-19 patients, including those exposed to the Omicron variant, needed to be treated at a referral hospital.
Budi said, when active cases of COVID-19 continued to increase, the hospital would sort out which patients could be hospitalized.
Primarily, patients who need to be treated are cases with moderate to severe symptoms. Meanwhile, cases with asymptomatic people (OTG) and mild symptoms can self-isolate (isoman) at home.
"We'll see what kind of hospital is admitted and we will sort out those who really need hospital treatment. If those who are positive have no symptoms, they will be persuaded to isoman so that the hospital can be used by friends with more severe (symptoms)," Budi said in a virtual press conference, Thursday, January 27.
Budi then details the categories of patients who need to be treated at the hospital. The hospital will prioritize patients from vulnerable groups such as the elderly and people with comorbid or congenital diseases.
"We need to make sure that the elderly are well cared for. We need to prioritize the elderly being vaccinated first and if there are comorbidities, they are prioritized to be sent to the hospital," said Budi.
Furthermore, COVID-19 patients who need to be hospitalized are cases who experience symptoms of shortness of oxygen saturation below 95 percent, and people who have not been vaccinated.
Meanwhile, if COVID-19 cases are asymptomatic, have mild symptoms, oxygen saturation is above 95, and are not comorbid, they can self-isolate.
However, if the house is not adequate for self-isolation, they can ask to be referred to a hospital or centralized isolation place.
"If he is asymptomatic, without symptoms, he can be treated at home. There is no need to panic. Isoman, take vitamins. We have provided telemedicine services. He can be contacted and he can be treated remotely by a doctor and we can send the medicine directly to them," Budi explained.
"Except for congested places where families gather, family gatherings are inevitable in centralized isolation at homesteads," he added.
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