COVID-19 Patient Care Information

• History of fever or temperature ≥ 37.5° C
• Cough
• Nasal mucus
• Sore throat
• Loss of sense of smell
• Loss of sense of taste
• Shortness of breath (dyspnea)
• Red eye
• Rash
• Diarrhea
• Risk history within 14-days prior to the onset of symptoms:
  • Travel history to/from, or reside in, areas with ongoing local transmission of COVID-19 in the past month
  • Exposure to confirmed cases of COVID-19
  • Travel history to crowded places in the community or gathering places where confirmed cases have been reported in the past month e.g., entertainment venues, flea markets, malls, hospitals, public transportation
  • Work in quarantine facilities

To schedule appointment, please contact svnhcontact@samitivej.co.th 

Steps for RT-PCR testing for SARS-CoV-2:

1. Patients have to make an appointment 1 day in advance (no walk-ins) at 020-222-222 or svnhcontact@samitivej.co.th. Staff will confirm the date and time.
2. A doctor will contact and inform the patient of the result within 24-48 hours. Patients should wait to receive test results at home and follow the guidelines for home quarantine. 

RT-PCR Cost:
Samitivej Sukhumvit Hospital: THB 4,000 including doctor’s fees and outpatient service fees but excluding medicines or other procedures as ordered by the doctor. 
 

The doctor will consider appropriate treatment if patients have any symptoms. Outpatient care can be a treatment option if a bed is not available. Patients with high-risk contacts need to repeat RT-PCR testing as indicated by the doctor. 

The doctor will contact the patient directly with test results within 24-48 hours. Patients will be classified by the doctor who performed the RT-PCR testing according to their clinical symptoms. In each category, doctors will consider each case separately to decide whether the patient should receive treatment at home (Home Isolation Program), in a hospitel or in the hospital.  

Some patients will have to make an appointment for further diagnostic tests including chest X-ray and/or blood testing. Doctors will develop a treatment plan based on lab results. Qualified patients who can be monitored and treated in hospitel will be informed of their check-in date and the estimated number of days they will stay in the hospitel.

*Depending on available beds

Patients who had RT-PCR testing at Samitivej Sukhumvit and are in the green category will be offered a Home Isolation Program, which will be closely monitored by the hospital as follows:

• Each patient will be examined, and their eligibility for the Home Isolation program determined, by an infectious disease specialist or other responsible doctor.
• Our nursing team will follow up with the patient once daily to check body temperature and oxygen saturation. (Daily phone call follow-up)
• Patients will attend a virtual meeting to follow up with a doctor every 3 days. Staff will provide a link to access the video call follow-up service through Samitivej Virtual Hospital.
• If the patient’s condition deteriorates, necessary medications will be prescribed and delivered to the patient’s home and/or a hospital transport will bring the patient in for admission to the hospital.
• Samitivej Sukhumvit Hospital seeks your kind understanding and cooperation in our reservation of beds for detected cases only, and based on their level of severity falling within the yellow and red categories. 

14-day Home Isolation Package Cost:

• THB 19,200 including doctor’s fees, daily monitoring fees by nurse (14 days), common household medication, medical supplies and medical equipment (digital thermometer and pulse oximeter for measuring oxygen saturation). Medication, medical supplies and medical equipment will be delivered to the patient's home.
• Waste Disposal Services THB 500/week. The collection will be every Sunday. (limited to 15 km from Samitivej Sukhumvit Hospital)

Due to the limited number of beds, Samitivej Sukhumvit Hospital collaborates with Adelphi Suites and Serviced Apartment Bangkok (Sukhumvit 8) and Hope Land Hotel (Sukhumvit 8). Registered nurses are on standby at the hotels around the clock. Patients can have a video call consultation with a doctor thru Samitivej Virtual Hospital. Patients can only choose the hospitel option when there are rooms available in these two hotels.

14-day Hospitel Cost:

• THB 98,000 for Standard room, THB 119,000 for VIP room, THB 140,000 for President room
• Each package includes doctor’s fees, nursing fees, diagnostic laboratory testing, chest X-ray and medical supplies. If patients require any other diagnostic test, the cost will be charged separately.
   

When a patient’s condition improves, they are allowed to move to home quarantine but must maintain the principles of preventing infection according to the new standards.

• Asymptomatic confirmed cases will be in home isolation or a designated facility for at least 14 days from the day the patient tested positive.
• Mild cases will be in home isolation or in a designated facility for at least 14 days from the onset of symptoms. If symptoms persist after completion, the patient will remain in hospitel or hospital until there has been no manifestation for at least 24-48 hours. 
• Patients being discharged early to complete 14 days (from the day the asymptomatic patient tested positive or from the symptom onset date) in home quarantine must strictly follow home quarantine guidelines.
• Severe cases or severely immunocompromised hosts, including patients who are currently undergoing chemotherapy for cancer treatment, have had bone marrow or organ transplantation within one year, have untreated HIV with a CD4 count < 200 cell/ml3, have combined primary immunodeficiency disorder, have received prednisolone >20 mg/day for more than 14 days, and those with other causes of low immunity, should be treated in a health facility and discharged only when symptoms have improved, after which they must be home quarantined to complete at least 21 days from the symptom onset date.

There is no need to repeat testing with RT-PCR, antigen or antibody detection in patients who are already confirmed cases, including when they are discharged, except for the purpose of research (the researcher must clearly explain this to the patient).

After discharge and after completing the quarantine period, patients should follow new normal practices including wearing masks, hand washing, social distancing, and avoiding crowded or poorly ventilated areas.

• Patients may rest at home or return to work, since the period when they can transmit the disease has passed.
• Returning to work depends primarily on the health condition of the patient. There is no need to repeat testing before returning to work, but patients should continue to strictly follow new normal practices.
• Patients who have recovered from COVID-19 within the past 3 months have a low risk of being reinfected. Therefore, repeated SARS-CoV-2 testing with RT-PCR, antigen or antibody testing has less benefit. However, those who have a strong contact history may consider being retested on a case by case basis.

(from date of onset of symptoms, or date of positive test result if asymptomatic)

• Refrain from leaving home except to travel to the hospital by appointment.
• The patient should sleep in a separate bedroom from others. If there is no separate bedroom, the patient must be placed 3-5 meters downwind from others in a well-ventilated room. If this cannot be arranged, the patient must be in community isolation until they complete the isolation period.
• If possible, a person should use separate toilet facilities from others. If they cannot, all touched surfaces must be cleaned with a cleaning solution, or disinfectant solution such as alcohol, after every use.
• Personal hygiene: wear a surgical mask or cloth mask if living with others.
• Wash hands regularly with soap and water, especially after urinating or excreting, or use alcohol-based sanitizer.
• No dining with others.
• Keep a distance of at least 2 meters from others and wear a mask at all time.
• Drink plenty of water and eat nutritious food.
• If any symptoms are reintroduced, or existing symptoms worsen, for example high fever, frequent cough, fatigue, chest pain, panting, difficulty breathing, or loss of appetite, immediately contact the hospital. If the patient wishes to go to the hospital, they should not use public transport. They should instead use a personal vehicle or request to be picked up by ambulance.
• After completion of the quarantine period, the patient can continue social activity and work while maintaining new normal practices such as wearing a mask when in contact with others, hand washing and social distancing.

In some cases, during the initial stages of a COVID-19 infection recovery, patients may experience severe inflammation throughout the body causing a membrane or white spots, visible on an X-ray, to form on the lungs. However, not many white spots are found.

Other symptoms seen in some patients recovering from a COVID-19 infection are feelings of fatigue, weakness and exhaustion. In addition, some patients who have recovered from a COVID-19 infection have experienced a 20–30% reduction in pulmonary function, but this can be reversed with treatment.

Samitivej offers pulmonary function rehabilitation and health recovery programs for patients with no severe respiratory conditions who are recovering from COVID-19.  

Learn more about pulmonary rehabilitation following recovery from a COVID-19 Infection here.  
For more information, please contact svnhcontact@samitivej.co.th.

Once a patient recovers from a COVID-19 infection, their lungs, which are directly impacted by the infection, are likely to be partially damaged. However, did you know that other bodily systems, such as the heart and coronary artery system, are also affected and that the patient’s overall physical capabilities may also suffer?

The lungs may exhibit scarring or tissue damage, which could lead to the patient being unable to take a full, deep breath, thus leaving them feeling breathless and tiring easily. The heart, on the other hand, may be more prone to disease, whether as a result of an increased workload on the immune system having a negative effect on the heart muscle or the virus itself infiltrating and directly impacting the heart muscle. This means that recovering COVID-19 patients are at greater risk of developing certain heart conditions in the future, including heart failure, arrhythmia, and other heart conditions. Moreover, the overall health of some recovering patients has also been found to be significantly affected by the infection, with patients reporting exhaustion, fatigue, not feeling fresh and a general feeling of weakness. These issues are a result of severe inflammation throughout the body as a result of the immune system being unable to return to its former, healthy state. Additionally, the stress and anxiety felt by patients experiencing a COVID-19 infection, as well as side effects from medication or even repeated bacterial infections caused by prolonged use of immunosuppressive drugs, are all factors that can disrupt the recovery process. This means that patients may not feel 100% recovered for quite some time after they leave the hospital.

Regular health screening, including pulmonary function tests, heart function analysis and inflammation screening, a comprehensive rehabilitation program that includes breathing exercises, light exercise, regular testing of vitamin levels and antioxidant levels, vaccines, and vitamin supplements to boost immunity levels, and other techniques to improve health are essential to patients recovering from a COVID-19 infection. Taking such steps can help patients assess their health and plan for further rehabilitation so the body and its organs can be restored and work better, enabling patients to make a rapid return to their daily lives and improve their overall quality of life.

Learn more about Post-COVID-19 Health Rehabilitation here.  
For more information, please contact svnhcontact@samitivej.co.th.

After an infection with SARS-CoV-2, most people—even those with mild infections—appear to retain some protection against the virus for at least a year, according to a recent follow-up study of recovered patients1. This, along with other research, demonstrates that vaccinating individuals after they have recovered from COVID-19 substantially enhances their immune response and confers strong resistance against variants of concern, including the Delta variant.

If you wish to analyze your level of immunity before receiving a COVID-19 vaccine, learn more about COVID-19 antibody testing here.