Health Tips

A guideline for positive patients who are self-isolating at home

1. Step-by-step guide on MySejahtera Home Monitoring 

• If you are tested COVID-19 positive, you will be notified through MySejahtera app and SMS via your phone

• Your COVID-19 lab test results will appear in the “Things to Know” column on the app

• Then, go to “Things to Do” column and update on:

1. COVID-19 monitoring

• COVID-19 monitoring must be updated every day after 9 am

2. Medical History (only once after the lab test results notification has been received)

2. What should you do if KKM or Health Authority did not contact you?

• You will be contacted by your District Health Office/Pejabat Kesihatan Daerah (PKD) or the COVID-19 Assessment Centre (CAC) officer to have an appointment to attend CAC. 

• If you are not contacted immediately, do not worry as most of the time the PKD experiences a high volume of calls and may take some time to respond.

• Meanwhile, practice self-monitoring every day and report your symptoms through the MySejahtera app in the “Things to Do” Column. The information that you provide on MySejahtera will be reported to PKD/CAC for further actions.

• There are 2 ways you can report yourself:

  • Call the nearest CAC in your area

  • Report through MySejahtera > More > Helpdesk > F ‘I am COVID-19 positive and awaiting a call from MOH’

3. How to self-quarantine at home?

DO

1. Prepare a room for the use of the patient only, preferably the room has its own bathroom facilities

• Stay in a specific room and away from other household members

• Ensure the room is well-ventilated

2. Use a separate bathroom, if available 

• If not possible, the patient may use a common bathroom, but touched surfaces should be cleaned and disinfected after each use such as doorknobs, faucet heads, and other appliances with at least water and soap

3. Avoid face-to-face interaction with other members of the household. If unavoidable, make sure both parties wear face masks and maintain a 1-2meter distance with other household members 

4. Report your health status to health workers when contacted or through the MySejahtera application every day

5. Ensure to wash hands frequently with soap and water or hand sanitizer 

6. Disinfect frequently on touched surfaces with a household cleaner 

• Disinfect high touched areas (eg: doorknobs, light switches, bed table, remote control, bathroom) and any other item the patient had come in contact with at least once daily

7. Practice proper coughing and sneezing etiquette. Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when coughing or sneezing.

8. Stay separate

• Avoid sharing of personal items (eg: dishes, cups/glasses, towels, bedding, electronics).

• Avoid face-to-face interaction with family members. If unavoidable, patient and family member must wear a mask when face to face and maintain a physical distance of >1m

• Eat in separate rooms or areas 

9. Always be at home and be contactable at all times 

10. Discard used tissues and face masks into sealed packages before throwing them in the trash. Then, wash hands immediately.

11. Handling dirty laundry

• The patient’s laundry should be washed separately and hands should be washed thoroughly after handling dirty laundry

• If possible, advise washing laundry at warmest setting or with warm water 

12. All contaminated items or rubbish should be separately disposed of in a plastic bag by the patient. Whilst handling these items, the patient should wear a mask, face shield, and sanitize their hands after cleaning. 

13. Self-monitoring on your COVID-19 symptoms

• Contact 999 immediately if symptoms worsen (listed below)

WARNING SIGNS FOR ADULTS:

• Prolonged fever

• Difficulty breathing

• Chest ache

• Loss of appetite

• Fatigue worsens

• Coughing up blood 

• Frequent vomiting or diarrhoea

WARNING SIGNS FOR CHILDREN:

• Fever, cough, vomiting, or worsening diarrhoea

• Fatigue and inactivity

• No appetite and drinking

• Chest or stomach pain

• Difficulty breathing

• Cold hands and feet

• Seizures

DON’T

1. Do not eat with other people and do not share food 

• Patients should not share their utensils and are advised to clean their own utensils and keep them aside

2. Do not have visitors in your home, including friends and family – except for people providing essential care

3. Do not go out to get food and medicine – order it online or by phone, or ask someone to bring it to your home

4. Do not go out to exercise – exercise in your own quarantine room

4. Duration of self-isolation 

1. Asymptomatic COVID-19 positive patients 

• Following the COVID-19 test, the patient should self-isolate for 10 days 

2. Symptomatic COVID-19 positive patients 

• Self-isolation begins once the patient experiences COVID-19 symptoms and should self-isolate for 10 days. During the isolation period, the COVID-19 test will be undertaken. If symptoms persist after 10 days, the patient should continue self-isolation and receive further treatments

3. COVID-19 positive patients who experienced symptoms during self-isolation

• If the COVID-19 positive patient starts experiencing symptoms during their self-isolation, the duration of self-isolation at home should start from the day the patient experiences symptoms for a further of 10 days. 

After self-isolation is over, contact the nearest PKD to get a discharge letter & change the status in MySejahtera before resuming normal daily activity

**Patient will need to get CAC approval and discharge letter before resuming normal daily activity. 

5. Mental Health Support

• Contact your loved ones through social media, texts, and phone call

• Maintain a healthy diet, have sufficient sleep, and adhere to your usual medication regime 

• Obtain COVID-19 information from a reliable source 

• Establish self-care according to SOP

• Carry out activities that you enjoy such as listening to music, reading, exercising, watching movies/films 

• Learn a new skill or find a new hobby

• Focus on practicing breathing techniques, relaxation, and light exercise

• Limit your social media browsing time on matters related to COVID-19 

6. DOC2US Services 

If you need any inquiry about COVID-19, you can talk to a doctor anytime via MySejahtera> Digital Health > Virtual Health Advisory > Doc2Us

Resources:

1. http://covid-19.moh.gov.my/garis-panduan/pemantauan-kendiri-kes-positif-covid-19-di-rumah

2. https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/self-isolation-and-treatment/when-to-self-isolate-and-what-to-do/

3. http://covid-19.moh.gov.my/garis-panduan/garis-panduan-kkm

Written By

Ms. Shin Yen Ter