In this challenging environment where we are encouraged to stay at home and have as little contact with people as possible, we thought it would be valuable for you to learn more about the telehealth service, Dial Daktari.

For more information on how this service works and how it can benefit you over the coming weeks you can access a recording of our Webinar with Dr Don Othoro from Dial Daktari.

TELEHEALTH SERVICES WEBINAR QUESTIONS

I want to understand the dynamics and to what extent this pandemic is covered under my current medical insurance.

For all information relating to Covid -19 and your Insurance provider you can consult the JW Seagon Covid 19 Information Portal.

 Is there emergency given those who call and have the symptoms?

Anyone who calls and has any symptoms is advised to self-isolate for seven days and if the symptoms get worse then they will call us back and we would advise whether or not they need to see a doctor or call an ambulance.

Living on farms not near to modern medical facilities it would be interesting to understand how this new approach of talking to a Doctor would work.

Living on a farm and not near medical facilities is potentially one of the areas in which this telemedicine service could work best because should you have any medical concerns especially during the lockdown you would be able to speak to a doctor and we could do a prescription or if we fell you needed to go to hospital and get examined or have a blood test done this could be arranged.

Correct amount of Vitamin C or other Vitamins we should be taking?

The recommended amount of vitamin C is 65-90mg. What we would recommend is for you to take normal multivitamin supplements at this time and that should be able to cover your vitamin C requirements. Eating lots of fruit and vegetable is also advised

Physiotherapy exercises for lungs that could help?

If somebody does have symptoms, we recommend that they drink lots of fluids and if they have exercises that their normal physiotherapist has recommended, they should do these. What we also recommend is for consumption of a lot of fluids taking paracetamol and regular active movements within the household.

How to prepare medically for covid19, especially when I am uncertain how prepared the hospitals are?

The best way to prepare medically for COVID-19 is to practice social and physical distancing and to practice meticulous washing of your hands and using hand sanitizer. Avoid touching your face. And cough into a tissue paper or your sleeve.

I have had open heart surgery at Aga Khan University Hospital Nairobi I am social distancing What do I do if I become ill I am 72.

If you have had open heart surgery the recommendation is to maintain strict social distancing and avoid any visitors that are not necessary. We also recommend anyone who lives with you and who goes in and out of the residence to wear a mask when they are in contact with you and for you to do the same.

Based in the bush and known contact with a confirmed Covid -19 case. What is the recommendation for treatment if required?

If you have had contact with a confirmed COVID-19 case the recommendation would be to self-isolate for 14 days and if you developed or have developed any symptoms to self-isolate for seven days. If your symptoms get worse then what you need to do is call Dial Daktari and we would arrange for an ambulance if needed.

After a positive diagnosis, how long does it take one to recover?

After a positive diagnosis most people take about seven days to get better. However, there is a subgroup of people who can take up to 14 days. At this time should you get more shortness of breath or your symptoms worsen give us a call straight away.

What other vitamins will help our immune system.

Other vitamins you can use are A, D, E, Zinc and B6

Are there any lung physiotherapy type exercises we could be doing to help our lungs? If we are self-isolating in remote areas far from cities and towns and dealing with symptoms if they come? What kind of medicine could we take to prevent pneumatic worsening? Would mucosolvents help loosen congestion?

I would always recommend contacting your chest physio therapist however a simple procedure is to practice breathing when you sit down with your shoulders back, take a very deep breath through your nose, hold your breath for about  5 seconds and then breathe it out very slowly again. Chest physiotherapy can help loosen the mucus and move it away the center of the chest by gentle tapping down the back of the chest

If we can’t bring down a fever on paracetamol four times a day, what else can we do or take?

We would recommend using a cold compresses over the forehead or the body. We would also recommend taking off all clothing so that the body can cool down. At this moment we are not recommending taking ibuprofen as in some cases it has proven to potentially make the condition worse.

If we can’t get to a hospital is there anything, we can do at home to help with alleviating difficulty in breathing?

If you’re having difficulty breathing and it is getting worse the best recommendation would be to call an Ambulance or Dial Daktari and we will arrange for an ambulance to get out to you as this is one of the severe complications of COVID -19.

If I contract COVID-19 but do not exhibit any symptoms or they are so mild and heal without any major complications, is there a way of confirming that post healing?

There are tests that you can do after you have had COVID-19 to find out whether or not you have developed the antibodies.

If one heals after suffering from COVID-19, can they contract it again? If so, is there something like a cool off period e.g. not in the same month or same year.

We do not know what the average period for a person is as we are only four months into learning a lot about it.

Is COVID-19 airborne?

COVID-19 is spread via droplets and that’s why we advocate social distancing from any other individual as well as meticulous washing of your hands.