Community should be liaison for homebound patients, family doctors

A health worker in Beijing said COVID-19 patients isolating at home should report to community authorities so that they can get in touch with their family doctors, who will help them contact larger hospitals if their conditions worsen.

Chen Jingjing, director of a community health center in Beijing's Huairou district, said family doctors are tasked with helping homebound patients properly use antigen test kits and drugs, usually through video calls.

If a patient begins exhibiting severe symptoms — including persistent high temperatures despite taking fever medication or experiencing shortness of breath, convulsions or chest constriction — a family doctor will help them contact hospitals for admission, she said.

Zhu Lan, a community doctor in Xuhui district, Shanghai, said 139 doctors at her community health center serve about 70,000 residents in the area, offering them services such as vaccinations for many diseases, health education, physical rehabilitation, home-based care and other services.

She said the doctors also manage three family patient beds for every 1,000 residents, mainly catering to those who have had strokes or are dealing with other disabilities.