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Home-care guidelines for patients with COVID-19

Background

People who test positive for COVID-19 are most likely to only experience mild symptoms and recover without requiring special treatment or hospitalisation, especially if up-to-date with COVID-19 vaccinations.1

This guide contains information for general practitioners (GPs) who are providing home- based care in a private residential home (including public or community housing), in residential aged care facilities and supported accommodation, for patients who have tested positive for COVID-19 and require additional support from general practice.

Caring for patients with COVID-19 in their homes allows the provision of appropriate holistic care, minimises the impact on the healthcare system, frees up hospital beds for patients with severe illness (or who otherwise require hospitalisation) and minimises the risk of transmission within a hospital setting.

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  2. Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation. Clinical guidance for COVID-19 vaccine providers. Canberra; ATAGI, 2022 [Accessed 13 May 2022].
  3. Department of Health. How COVID-19 vaccines work. Canberra, 2022 vaccines/how-they-work [Accessed 19 may 2022].
  4. Rees S, Fisher J. COVID-19 and the mental health of people from refugee backgrounds. Int J Health Serv 2021;50(4):415–17. doi: 10.1177/0020731420942475. [Accessed 19 may 2022].
  5. National COVID-19 Clinical Evidence Taskforce. Management of adults with mild COVID-19 (version 42.1). Melbourne, 2022 [Accessed 19May 2022].
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  8. Agency for Clinical Innovation. Caring for adults and children in the community with COVID-19. Sydney: NSW Health, 2022 [Accessed 19 May 2022].
  9. National COVID-19 Clinical Evidence Taskforce. Pathways to care for children and adolescents with COVID-19 (version 2.1). Melbourne: National COVID-19 Clinical Evidence Taskforce, 2022 [Accessed 19 May 2022].
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  12. National COVID-19 Clinical Evidence Taskforce. Oestrogen-containing therapies. Melbourne: National COVID-19 Clinical Evidence Taskforce, 2022 [Accessed 10 June 2022].
  13. Cagnacci A, Bonaccorsi G, Gambacciani M, Board of the Italian Menopause Society Collaborators. Reflections and recommendations on the COVID-19 pandemic: Should hormone therapy be discontinued? Maturitas, 2020;138:76–77. doi: 10.1016/j.maturitas.2020.05.022. [Accessed 10 June 2022].
  14. Australian Government Department of Health. Lagevrio (molnupiravir) PBS Factsheet. Canberra: DoH, 2022 [Accessed 15 June 2022]
  15. Australian Government Department of Health. Paxlovid® (nirmatrelvir and ritonavir) Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme Factsheet. Canberra: DoH, 2022 [Accessed 15 June 2022]
  16. National COVID-19 Clinical Evidence Taskforce. Corticosteriods (systemic) for adults. Melbourne: National COVID-19 Clinical Evidence Taskforce, 2022 [Accessed 19 May 2022].
  17. Australian Government Department of Health. Guidance on the use of personal protective equipment (PPE) for health care workers in the context of COVID-19. Canberra: DoH, 2021 [Accessed 19 May 2022].
  18. Infection Control Expert Group. Information about cleaning and disinfection for health and residential care facilities. Canberra: Australian Government, 2020 coronavirus-covid-19-environmental-cleaning-and-disinfection-principles-for- health-and-residential-care-facilities-coronavirus-covid-19-environmental- cleaning-and-disinfection-principles-for-health-and-residential-care-fac.pdf [Accessed 19 May 2022].
  19. The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists. Melbourne: RACGP, 2021. A message for pregnant women and their families information-for-pregnant-women [Accessed 19 May 2022]
  20. National COVID-19 Clinical Evidence Taskforce. Pregnancy and Perinatal care. Melbourne: National COVID-19 Clinical Evidence Taskforce, 2022 [Accessed 19 May 2022].
  21. The Royal Children’s Hospital Melbourne. Clinical Practice Guidelines – COVID-19. Melbourne: The Royal Children’s Hospital Melbourne, 2021 [Accessed 19 May 2022].
  22. National COVID-19 Clinical Evidence Taskforce. Management of people with COVD-19 who are older and living with frailty and/or cognitive impairment (version 5.0). Melbourne: National COVID-19 Clinical Evidence Taskforce, 2021 [Accessed 18 May 2022].

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