Coronavirus in healthcare: prevention tips

The year 2020 began to be marked by a pandemic that has been frightening the entire population: the new coronavirus. Since March, Brazilians have remained isolated to avoid contagion, but some special care is still needed.

Even with the quarantine, many companies did not stop working, and in the state of Santa Catarina, after approximately 20 days of isolation, autonomous workers were allowed to return, including health professionals, and now commerce in general also returns to activities. Given this, we have gathered below essential tips for preventing coronavirus, whether at home or work. Check out!

Social distancing
The most effective way to prevent coronavirus is still isolation. We know that it is not always possible to maintain social distance, but avoiding agglomerations and keeping at least 1 meter away from people, helps.

Telemedicine
With isolation, medical care also ended up being harmed. As a way to get around this situation, the Brazilian Minister of State for Health authorized on March 20, the use of telemedicine during the Covid-19 pandemic. With this alternative, the health professionals will be able to maintain their care even at a distance, which provides not only them but the patient, with greater prevention.

Health professionals using Ninsaúde Apolo can now perform telemedicine through the software: just send the invitation via WhatsApp or email to the patient so that the two can communicate in real-time. For security reasons, the video call is not recorded in the system, but while attending to the patient, the professional can make his notes normally in the electronic medical record. For more details, check out our article about the call center at Ninsaúde Apolo and take the opportunity to know the software.‌

Home Office
To perform the call center, the health professional does not need to be in your office, just have a smartphone, tablet, or computer with a camera and internet access. Therefore, for those who wish to carry out the home office, we have some tips:

• Choose a room in the house that is quiet, airy, and has good lighting;

• Watch your food. Don't miss your meal times and don't forget to hydrate yourself;

• Avoid distractions and keep a list of priorities updated daily. If your family is also present at home, make sure there are no interruptions during working hours.

Service in offices
As mentioned earlier, in some places in Brazil, clinics and offices are normally open, so we have some measures to be followed;

• Avoid greetings like kisses or handshakes in the consultation;

• Wash your hands thoroughly, before and after consultations;

• Reinforce the use of PPE, including the lab coat, mask, and gloves;

• Try to keep all surfaces of the office permanently clean and disinfected.

Day-to-day care
Even at home, it is necessary to maintain hygiene not only of the hands but of objects used frequently, throughout the day.  Hands should be cleaned with soap and water or gel alcohol whenever you arrive from the street, before and after using the bathroom, and after handling objects that are shared with other people.

When you arrive from the street, do not forget to remove your shoes before entering the house, and do not touch anything before cleaning yourself. If you are unable to shower immediately, clean all exposed areas (hands, wrists, face, etc.), and remember to wash your lab coat separately from everyday clothes, to avoid contaminating them.

It is also important to avoid scratching, rubbing, or having any kind of contact with the mucous membranes of the eyes, nose, and mouth, but if it is inevitable, do not forget to thoroughly clean your hands first.

And finally, when coughing, don't forget to cover your nose and mouth with tissue paper or the inside of your elbow, but never with your hands. After using a handkerchief, it should be discarded in the trash, and hands should be cleaned with water and soap or gel alcohol.

Did you like these tips? Keep visiting the blog to get more information like this, and if you don't know our software, Ninsaúde Apolo, contact the sales team for more information.