The need of Video Healthcare/Telemedicine in flattening the Curve of Covid_19

According to WHO, coronavirus is a recently discovered virus that causes a very infectious disease. This new virus and disease were unknown before the outbreak began in Wuhan, China, in December 2019. Now branded as COVID-19, it is now a pandemic affecting many countries globally.

COVID-19 affects different people in different ways. Most infected people will develop mild to moderate illness and recover without hospitalization that includes both the Patient and Doctors and all other people administering care in the frontlines. And from facts on the table, it is not racial either.

People can catch COVID-19 from others who have the virus. The disease spreads primarily from person to person through small droplets from the nose or mouth, which are expelled when a person with COVID-19 coughs, sneezes, or speaks. These droplets are relatively heavy, do not travel far and quickly sink to the ground. People can catch COVID-19 if they breathe in these droplets from a person infected with the virus.  Therefore, it is important to stay at least 1 meter) away from others. These droplets can land on objects and surfaces around the person such as tables, doorknobs, and handrails.  People can become infected by touching these objects or surfaces, then touching their eyes, nose, or mouth.

On average it takes 5–6 days from when someone is infected with the virus for symptoms to show, however it can take up to 14 days for it to show full blow. And after the 14 days some get well while some do not. We already have stories of some dying from this disease.

Let us outline the most common symptoms:

• fever
• dry cough
• tiredness
• Less common symptoms:
• aches and pains
• sore throat
• diarrhoea
• conjunctivitis
• headache
• loss of taste or smell
• a rash on skin, or discolouration of fingers or toes
• Serious symptoms:
• difficulty breathing or shortness of breath
• chest pain or pressure
• loss of speech or movement

So you are advised to seek immediate medical attention if you have any of these symptoms and always call before visiting your doctor or health facility to protect the healthcare providers.

It is important to wash your hands regularly with soap and water or clean with alcohol-based hand rub.

People with mild symptoms who are otherwise healthy should manage their symptoms at home and reach out to Hospitals with Telemedicine infrastructure.

World Health Organization and all the world leaders investing so much in ongoing research to come up with a Vaccine and will continue to share updated findings.

While we wait, let’s look at how Technology can help in slowing down the spread. This is can be through remote healthcare: Video Healthcare/Telemedicine!

Telemedicine is the process of offering healthcare remotely over Video. Management and care for patients happens without the health provider and patient physically present in one room, one clinic or hospital ward. With Modern technology healthcare providers like doctors can now consult and clerk patients using Video Healthcare Solution.

A Remote Video Conferencing paltfrom designed for Healthcare providers viz: Hospitals, Health Management Organization HMO, Diagnostics and Ambulance Services.

They can pull up their list of appointments for the day in on their desktop, smartphone, or tablet and select any patient  to review his or her chart, and if it is a telehealth consultation, he or she can simply click to join.  The Doctor can continue charting, write scripts, prescriptions and place orders in real time while carrying on the face to face interaction with the patient – just like he or she would if the patient were physically present.

For more information and demonstration of a Video Healthcare/Telemedicine Solution.