New interactive patient guide for managing COVID at home

A new, easy-to-use online guide for low-risk COVID-19 patients managing their own care is now available on the RACGP website.

The clearly formatted advice is likely to be useful for GPs to pass on to patients able to monitor their symptoms at home without the need for extra support from their general practice.
 
Published under the Practice Essentials banner, the guide includes comprehensive information on isolation, common COVID-19 symptoms, how to monitor and manage them, as well as a symptom diary.
 
It also features resources for patients who may need financial help while isolating, what to do about vaccination on recovery, and has tailored support specifically for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders.
 
Health and wellbeing advice is likewise available, as is clear direction to information available in other languages.
 
RACGP Vice President Dr Bruce Willett said the online guide has been released at a vital time, with the aim of making the guidance as accessible as possible.
 
‘We want to make sure that everyone in the community can access this information,’ he said.
 
‘Ensuring people from a culturally and linguistically diverse background are not left behind is of the highest priority to GPs and general practice teams.
 
‘This virus affects all communities, and we want everyone to be equipped with the information they need to manage their health and wellbeing.’
 
 He also emphasised the importance of ensuring patients track their symptoms closely.
 
‘Most people who catch COVID-19 will only have relatively mild symptoms that won’t require a hospital visit,’ Dr Willett said.
 
‘However, it’s vital to be on the lookout for severe symptoms.
 
‘Even if you are young, fit, healthy and have no underlying medical conditions, you still need to be mindful of your condition potentially deteriorating.’
 
A clear outline of concerning symptoms that should prompt a 000 call is included in the guide.
 
Dr Willett said that while every case of COVID-19 is different, the guide will provide broad support across the community.
 
‘This interactive and user-friendly guide has information that I think will benefit people from all walks of life,’ he said.
 
He urged people to share it widely with friends and family members.
 
The college also previously released guidelines on how to manage COVID at home with assistance from a general practice in November, before the Omicron variant was identified.
 
That advice was put together in consultation with the RACGP’s COVID-19 Working Group, GP clinicians, the HealthPathways community, the National COVID-19 Clinical Evidence Taskforce, and medical defence organisations.
 
The guidelines are available on the RACGP website, including in a PDF format.
 
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