'Hospital at Home' supports Marc Chetty through serious bout of COVID-19

Marc developed COVID-19 symptoms on 5 June 2021 and tested positive on 9 June.

"I have asthma, diabetes and hypertension and so am considered high risk for severe COVID-19 illness," says the 36-year-old Lenasia resident. "Knowing my risk profile, I've been extremely careful about my COVID-19 exposure risk throughout the pandemic. For the past year and a half I've also daily taken vitamin C and zinc, to support my health and immunity."

Marc's COVID-19 diagnosis coincided with the start of South Africa's third wave of COVID-19 infection, so it came at a time when infection rates (driven by the highly transmissible delta variant) were climbing, and hospitals were under growing pressure to treat people who had serious COVID-19 illness.

Marc receives a positive COVID-19 test result

"Initially my only symptom was back pain, which I only linked to possible COVID-19 when my wife's flu-like symptoms proved to be COVID-19. As soon as my test-result came in confirming I had COVID-19, my GP, Dr Vikash Makan and I did an online consultation, after which he prescribed medicine that a relative collected and left at my gate," says Marc.

"Dr Makan also prescribed a pulse oximeter to monitor my blood oxygen levels, or 'oxygen saturation'."

• A pulse oximeter is a small, lightweight, clamp-like device that fits comfortably over the fingertip and quickly measures the amount of oxygen (oxygen saturation) in the blood. It can also measure your heart rate, or pulse. It's a painless and non-invasive device and takes about a minute to give you a reading.
• Using one is important for early detection of a potentially deadly aspect of COVID-19, called 'silent hypoxia' - a drop in blood oxygen levels in the blood over time, but usually without any symptoms.

Marc also informed his employer - First National Bank (FNB) - about his illness, and took sick leave. Marc has worked at FNB for 14 years. FNB also assigned a doctor to assist with Marc's care and he received a number of calls throughout the period of his recovery, enquiring as to his condition and checking on his progress.

Marc develops COVID pneumonia

"On day six of my illness, Dr Makan proactively sent me for blood tests and X-rays which were done in a strictly controlled way at a local hospital. On 13 June, these tests confirmed that I had COVID pneumonia," says Marc. "I did have some shortness of breath, but it did not feel bad. I didn't realise how serious it was.."

That's when Dr Makan contacted Bankmed and motivated for Marc to access the Connected Care COVID-19 at Home Benefit.

• The COVID-19 Hospital at Home benefit allows high-risk Bankmed scheme members who test positive for COVID-19 and require hospitalisation (to a general ward, not a high care ward or the ICU) to access the hospital-level care they need at home.
• Scheme members are monitored 24 hours a day by a care team from Quro Medical. Members are both directly and remotely monitored (through a biosensor patch that sends back constant information on vital signs and alerts for out-of-range readings), all overseen by a treating Healthcare Professional.
• This benefit also covers members who are medically stable but in hospital, allowing them to be discharged earlier and to continue their treatment at home while continuing to receive the care they need.

Marc's Hospital at Home COVID-19 benefit provided access to hospital-level care in the comfort of home

Later that day (13 June), Marc received a visit from the care team who set up his 'hospital-at-home' system and provided him with a home oxygen set-up as well as a vital-signs monitor that, once attached to his chest, allowed the care team to monitor Marc's vitals remotely. "The entire set-up included back-up devices that would take over power supply in the event of load-shedding or a power failure. There was nothing they hadn't thought of," says Marc.

"They would call me up to six times a day to check on me, check on my blood oxygen levels, heart rate and so on," says Marc. "The first call came at 07:00 every morning, to see how I had slept and how I was feeling."

Dr Makan's perspective on the COVID-19 Hospital at Home benefit

Marc's GP, Dr Makan explains: "Marc was one of the first patients that I onboarded onto the Connected Care COVID-19 at Home Benefit. Overall, the experience was pleasant and effortless and I have subsequently assisted many other patients, who would have otherwise been hospitalised, to receive the same sort of care. Communication from the Quro Medical team was, at all times, prompt and to the point."

"I strongly encourage all Healthcare Professionals to make use of the service as it allows for the holistic management of various conditions, which can in fact be managed at home, during these extremely challenging times."

"My blood oxygen levels were dropping"

It's thanks to the vital-signs monitoring device attached to Marc's chest that his silent hypoxia was detected at 03:00 - while he was asleep and none the wiser to his decreasing oxygen levels - only two days after the care team had first visited and set up his home 'hospital'.

"When the call came in, in the middle of the night that my blood oxygen levels were dropping, they were quickly able to tell me how to use the oxygen supply and devices I had been given. I stayed on oxygen for about four days."

"I could focus exclusively on getting better"

Marc also required regular blood tests to assess the factors that show a heightened risk of blood clots, linked to his COVID-19 illness.

Marc says: "The remote care team drove to my house about three or four times to take blood, take this to the pathology lab, and ensure my doctor had quick feedback so we always knew whether the medicine I was taking was adequate. The cortisone medicine I was on for the COVID-19 illness also caused my blood sugar levels to go to very high levels. Though I manage my diabetes with medicine normally, I went onto injected insulin to bring down my blood glucose levels during my COVID-19 recovery period. Here, I had ongoing support both around how much insulin was needed and even the foods I needed to eat to assist with blood sugar balance.

"A physiotherapist also visited me regularly to assist with exercises that helped my breathing and more."

"Having access to this 24/7 level of support and care turned a situation in which I was afraid of both the illness and of hospitalisation, into one in which I could focus exclusively on getting better. I was also reassured that, were I to deteriorate for any reason and require hospital admission, that the care team would have arranged everything well ahead of time, so I had that level of comfort too."

Bankmed's support makes all the difference

"I am so grateful for my medical scheme cover, which funded my care in full. I am also thankful for the fact that Dr Makan was aware of, and motivated for me to access the Bankmed Hospital at Home benefit. Not only was the care I received beyond all expectation, but also I really wanted to avoid admission to hospital. My wife had taken a turn for the worse and required admission. I was very worried about her, but my daughter - who had developed very mild COVID-19 - and I were home together, which helped us all to feel better about the situation."

"Maintain a positive mindset through COVID-19 illness"

In early August Marc was recovering well and looking forward to being vaccinated against COVID-19 in the near future.

Marc's tight chest has slowly eased and he no longer requires injected insulin.

"I want to encourage others to maintain a positive mindset through COVID-19 illness and to continue to have faith that things will be fine," he says. "COVID-19 illness reminds you that life is short and that it's important not to take loved ones and what really matters for granted."

"I would also like to thank Dr Makan and Bankmed for all of the support I have had. It's made all the difference to both my state of mind and recovery."

Dr Makan adds, "The COVID-19 Hospital at Home offering is a cost-effective and invaluable tool. It has the potential to change the face of modern medicine. It brings together cutting-edge technology - that allows for direct and remote monitoring - with a highly skilled medical team trained in the early detection of adverse outcomes," he says.

"This combination means that doctors can effectively treat and manage their patients who are located in the comfort of home, and provide them with care that is almost equal to that seen in a hospital setting. A treating doctor receives real-time feedback on their patients' vitals and other key clinical parameters."