General information
At-home treatment is one of the basic, often default, COVID-19 treatment options in major countries around the world. In Korea, the need to add an at-home treatment system has continuously been raised, especially for low-risk patients, patients requiring informal care or caregivers at home, and patients likely to suffer mental problems in hospitalized or isolated conditions.
Many countries around the world, including the UK, Japan, and Singapore, have adopted at-home treatment in order to make their national medical capacity sustainable. The Korean government decided to expand at-home treatment where patients can receive medical treatment safely at home depending on the severity of symptoms in order to make the national medical capacity sustainable.
A COVID-19 patient under at-home treatment (self-isolation) receives medical care at home, rather than in hospitals or facilities. When a patient is diagnosed with COVID-19, KDCA and local governments decide whether the patient will receive at-home treatment or be placed at a hospital or facility, depending on the patient’s medical conditions and availability of healthcare resources.
* Legal grounds for home isolation care of infectious disease patients are provided by Article 41 (revised Oct 13, 2020) of the Infectious Disease Control and Prevention Act.
In-kind and cash benefits during the at-home treatment
At-home treatment kit, consisting of pulse oximeter, thermometer, medicine for fever, etc. will be delivered to the patient’s home. Medical supplies including a self-test kit and four types of personal protective equipment are provided to family members of patients who are placed under joint quarantine. Medical experts monitor the patient’s health conditions on a daily basis, via phone calls or a mobile application, providing remote diagnosis and medicine prescriptions. If necessary, patients can visit short-term and outpatient care centers for face-to-face treatment.
Under the Paid Leave and Living Support Plan for COVID-19 Patients, patients who receive at-home treatment are eligible for the same level of paid leave and living support as patients hospitalized in medical facilities. Patients are also provided with food and essential supplies during at-home treatment, similar to those provided to people under self-quarantine by local governments.
If at-home patients are fully vaccinated, they are eligible for additional living support in addition to the previous living support. This applies to patients who receive at-home treatment from December 8, 2021.
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