Refiloe Morapedi is a 19 year old youth reporter from AGANANG FM, Potchefstroom. Refiloe tells us what it is like to live with someone who is essentially at high risk of contracting COVID-19 because of their work. We find out what fears they might have and how they are dealing with them as a family. Refiloe’s close relationship with an essential worker provides an opportunity to learn what is myth and what is fact about the experiences of people dealing with COVID-19.
FACTS & DEFINITIONS:
Health care facilities during COVID-19 are required to:
- Provide psycho-social support to Health Care Workers during quarantine, or throughout the duration of illness if they are confirmed to have COVID-19;
- Provide compensation for the period of quarantine and for the duration of illness (if not on a monthly salary) or extend contracts for duration of quarantine/illness;
- Provide review of IPC training for the health care facility staff, including HCWs at high risk for infection after a 14-day quarantine period.
Recommendations for health workers or essential workers in health care who are at low risk for COVID-19 is to:
- Self-monitor temperature and respiratory symptoms daily for 14 days after the last day of exposure to a COVID-19 patient.
- Health Care Workers should call the health care facility if they develop any symptoms suggestive of COVID-19;
- Reinforce contact and droplet precautions when caring for all patients with acute respiratory illness and adhere to standard precautions for all patients;
- Reinforce airborne precautions for aerosol-generating procedures on all suspected and confirmed COVID-19 patients;
- Reinforce the rational, correct, and consistent use of personal protective equipment;
- Apply WHO’s “My 5 Moments for Hand Hygiene” before touching a patient, before any clean or aseptic procedure, after exposure to body fluid, after touching a patient, and after touching a patient’s surroundings;
- Practice respiratory etiquette at all times.
Source: World Health Organization
