With the recent call by the health authorities to create a ‘safe zone’ in the house for the elderly to protect from COVID-19, Hamad Medical Corporation in a social media campaign has reminded people about the guidelines.
It highlighted that creating a safe zone in the home can protect the elderly family members and those with chronic conditions.
The ‘safe zone’ will be a designated area of the house for these at-risk people. Anyone who enters this zone must wash their hands, wear a mask and maintain physical distancing. The area should be thoroughly sanitised and kept clean as possible.
“Keep the number of people who visit and interact with elderly relatives and those with chronic conditions to a minimum. This small group of people should ensure they follow preventive advice at all times to minimise their risk of contracting the virus and passing it onto the vulnerable family member. These people should isolate themselves at the first sign of any symptoms and get a test,” it said.
To recall, addressing a press conference organised by the Ministry of Public Health (MoPH) last week, Dr. Hamad Al Romaihi, Director of Health Protection and Communicable Disease Control at the Public Health Department and co-chair of the National Pandemic Preparation Committee, said that creating a ‘safe zone’ in the house for elderly is an important action that people can take to protect the vulnerable section of society from COVID-19.
Also Qatar has enhanced targeted care to protect the elderly and most vulnerable during COVID-19.
Global evidence has shown that while COVID-19 can affect people of all ages and health status, the elderly are much more likely to experience severe symptoms and are therefore more at risk from becoming seriously ill if they contract the illness.
In response to this evidence, Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC), in collaboration with the Ministry of Public Health and Primary Health Care Corporation (PHCC), has established a comprehensive plan to help protect this vulnerable group of society.
The plan includes comprehensive public education and awareness campaign to inform elderly citizens and their families about adhering to important guidelines for their safety.
Dr. Hanadi Al Hamad, National Lead for Healthy Ageing in Qatar and Medical Director of Rumailah Hospital and Qatar Rehabilitation Institute, has said that with increasing age, natural immune system becomes less able to cope with the symptoms caused by the virus.
“The COVID-19 symptoms can include high fever, persistent dry cough, aches and pains and extreme fatigue, and these can be challenging for anyone, but often more so as we get older and our resilience to deal with the symptoms of an infection weakens. The problems are exacerbated when people have additional chronic health condition, such as diabetes, heart and kidney disease or similar; many of which become more prevalent with increasing age,” she said, recently.
