Home isolators checking oxygen and heart rate three times a day

NEWS - eHealthNews.nz editor Rebecca McBeth

Hundreds of Covid-19 patients isolating at home are being told to check their oxygen level and heart rate three times a day and to contact Healthline immediately if their oxygen level is less than 95% or their heart rate is more than 100bpm.

The government recently started the transition to ultimately manage between 90-95 percent of Covid infections in the community using a mix of telehealth services and pulse oximeters that clip onto a person’s finger and measure oxygen saturation.

As of 8 November, 290 active Covid cases were isolating at home.

The current home isolation process is being managed by the Northern Region Health Coordination Centre (NRHCC) while the long-term approach will involve general practice and other community providers.

A NRHCC spokesperson says all Covid-positive cases currently isolating at home are sent a home isolation pack which includes a pulse oximeter.

These packs are delivered by courier and sent within 24hrs of a positive case being referred to home isolation.

Patients are told to check their oxygen level and heart rate three times a day (morning, lunchtime and evening) and to write these numbers down and keep them safe. They are also told to record whether they are feeling unwell or have any new symptoms.

“Throughout their time in home isolation, positive cases receive phone check-ins by Healthline staff. On these calls they ask for these readings, as well ask general welfare questions to determine if the person requires assistance,” the spokesperson says.

Positive cases in home isolation are told to contact Healthline immediately if their oxygen level is less than 95% of their heart rate is more than 100bpm, or in an emergency call 111.

No patients are given thermometers to check their temperature while at home.

The Ministry of Health says a national system for distributing pulse oximeters to Covid patients isolating at home is being developed and devices have already been secured. It also intends to set up a digital service for collecting readings from the devices.

Two Covid-19 patients have recently died while isolating at home and the coroner is investigating whether their deaths are linked to the virus.

If you would like to provide feedback on this news story, please contact the editor Rebecca McBeth.

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