COVID-19 Precautions And Ministry Of Health Guidelines

Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic about a year ago, the world has had to drastically change. Change in the sense that it had to come up with ideas on how we could adapt to living with the virus within us while trying to contain and prevent further infections.

The outbreak started in Wuhan City, Hubei Province in mainland China and has since spread globally, infecting more than 96.2 million people resulting in over 2.06 million deaths and occurring in 219 countries.

COVID-19 virus is spread from person to person through the coughing or sneezing of infected people (droplet infection) or by touching something containing the virus on it and then touching their mouth, nose,
or eyes which is commonly known as contact transmission.

Persons at high risk for complications from the deadly virus include children 5 years and younger, persons age 65 years and older, pregnant women, persons of any age with chronic medical conditions such as asthma, diabetes, or heart disease, and persons who are immunocompromised for example, taking
immunosuppressive medications or infected with HIV.

Symptoms of COVID-19 include fever and either cough or difficulty breathing. In addition, the illness may be accompanied by other symptoms including headache, tiredness, runny or stuffy nose, chills, body aches, diarrhea, and vomiting. Like seasonal flu, COVID-19 in humans can vary in severity from mild to severe.

Covid-19 symptoms

This pandemic continues to pose a grave danger to all populations therefore measures that seek to reduce or prevent the spread of the virus have been put in place.

The guidelines below by the Ministry of Health combine both preventive and clinical management of the disease in the Kenyan context. The protocol borrows various international recommendations including the World Health Organization, from the experience of other countries such as China that has struggled with the
outbreak for a longer time, and from principles of virology and infectious disease management.

General Prevention Guidelines

1. Maintain good hand hygiene by washing with running water and soap, or using an alcohol-based hand sanitizer if available, especially after coughing or sneezing. Also, avoid touching the eyes, nose, and mouth.
2. All persons should cover their cough or sneeze with a tissue and throw all tissues in the trash after use.
3. Provide the means for appropriate hand cleansing readily available within places, including common food preparation, and eating areas. Ideal means for hand cleansing include running water and soap. Paper towels and wastebaskets should be made available. Shelter staff, volunteers, and clients should frequently wash their hands with soap and water, or use a hand sanitizer if handwashing with soap and water is not possible and hand sanitizers are available.
4. Premises and space settings should follow standard infection prevention precautions. These include training staff in the control of infectious diseases, providing access to personal protective equipment and apparatus, and encouraging proper handwashing. Items that are often in contact with respiratory droplets and hands e.g., doorknobs, faucets, etc should be cleaned and disinfected regularly.
5. Clean all common areas within the premise routinely and immediately, when visibly soiled, with the cleaning agents normally used in these areas. Eating utensils should be washed with detergent and water. Cups and utensils should not be shared until after washing.
6. Educational materials and information should be provided to clients in a way that can be
   understood by non-English and non-Kiswahili speakers.
7. Public transport providers are directed to provide hand sanitizers for their clients and regular cleaning of the vehicles. Matatus should carry the required passengers to maintain social distance, provide sanitizers and their vehicles should be disinfected regularly.

Facemasks

Facemasks are ideal when working in closed spaces or in a crowded public place where it is not possible to maintain a safe distance from other people. While using a facemask, the following considerations should be observed to ensure that they are effective and safe.

 Masks should fit properly such that it completely covers your face from the upper side of the nose to the chin.
 Make sure your hands are clean before putting on or taking off the facemask.
 If you are using a disposable facemask, make sure to do so in a proper way.
 Only touch the elastic cord at the back of the facemask when removing it and not the front. It is always assumed that the front of the facemask has been contaminated.
 If your facemask is reusable then wash it regularly with a detergent with water at 60⁰C.

Quarantine Guidelines

Quarantine is separation and restricted movement of persons presumed exposed often at home or maybe in a designated residential facility or hospital. It can be applied at the individual, family, or community level.

The following quarantine guidelines have been put in place by the Ministry of Health.

1. Healthcare personnel entering the room of a patient in isolation should be limited to those performing direct patient care only.
2. All healthcare personnel who enter the patient’s room should take standard and contact
   precautions.
3. Non-sterile gloves and N95 masks should be donned when entering a patient’s room.
4. All healthcare personnel who attend to patients in the isolation rooms should wear an N95 face mask and gloves while those who enter for a short duration may use a standard surgical mask.
5. Minimize the amount of time that health care personnel spend in the patient areas to only what is necessary to evaluate and manage the patient taking into account the severity of illness.
6. Limit visitors for patients in isolation for COVID-19 infection to persons who are necessary for the patient’s emotional well-being and care.

Home-Based Self-Isolation

As Kenya experiences an increasing number of confirmed COVID-19 cases, it has become less tenable to isolate all patients in hospital facilities hence to need for home-based self-isolation. Home-based care is suitable for patients with mildly symptomatic and asymptomatic confirmed COVID-19 patients giving priority to patients with severe and critical illness access to hospital facilities.

1. Patients should not move out of their home for a period of 14 days
2. While at home stay away from others. If possible, should stay in a specific room with adequate ventilation and use a separate bathroom.
3. If sharing bathroom facilities then this should be disinfected regularly using household
   disinfectant or soap and water. Wash hands often with soap and water for 20 seconds.
4. Avoid sharing personal household items. After using personal items, such as silverware, dishes, towels, sheets, and more, wash thoroughly with soap and water.
5. Cover mouth and nose with a tissue when you cough and sneeze and then throw it into the trash.
6. Wear a surgical mask.
7. The rest of the family should be advised to minimize contact with the patient and to wear a mask if coming into contact. They should also frequently wash hands with soap and water.

It is important that we all diligently follow these guidelines above set by the Ministry of Health. Doing so would minimize and even prevent the risk of spreading of this deadly virus that is within us. Stay safe.

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