The Department of Medical Services is planning to expand the state's Covid-19 home isolation programme -- which sees patients with few to no symptoms after testing positive for the virus being allowed to quarantine at home -- to cover 100,000 sufferers, it said yesterday.
DoMS director-general Natthapong Wongwiwat said at least 60,000 people are now under the home isolation programme.
Since the government changed its Covid-19 treatment guidelines, individuals who have tested positive for the virus, either through an antigen test kit (ATK) or the RT-PCR method at 132 hospitals across the country, would then be categorised depending on the severity of their symptoms.
Those with few or no symptoms would be entered into the home isolation programme in which they would receive regular check-ups and instructions remotely from hospitals in their catchment areas for 14 days. They are also provided with a medical kit and provided the anti-viral drug favipiravir.
In Bangkok, 46 community isolation centres are currently up and running, where infected individuals who do not have sufficient space to self-isolate at home can stay until they are referred to hospitals or field hospitals. The DoMS said more community isolation centres are being built in order to cut the rate of viral transmission at home.
In total, there are 5,000 beds at community isolation centres run by City Hall across Bangkok. Over 100 similar centres run by civic groups and charities have also opened, said Dr Natthapong.
Private groups and charities must register with City Hall before opening a community isolation centre, so they can access support in collecting infectious waste from the site, as well as medical supplies.
Meanwhile, the Department of Medical Science (DoMSc) has warned people not to buy ATKs from online shops or markets, as the kits can only be sold at pharmacies.
DoMSc director-general Supakit Sirilak said ATKs made by 19 manufacturers have been approved for sale, at no more than 200 baht apiece.
The sale of the kits is subject to stringent control because ATKs, as a medical equipment, must meet quality standards, he said.