How Melbourne doctors can now treat COVID-19 patients from home

Coronavirus patients can be monitored from home after the Royal Melbourne Hospital developed a platform that allows for remote care.

People who test positive to coronavirus with minimal symptoms can be sent home with a finger monitor and instructions on how to feed information such as blood-oxygen levels back to doctors.

Emergency physician Dr Martin Dutch explained to Ross and John that coronavirus only severely affects the health of about 20 per cent of patients, and this new system will allow doctors to send low-risk patients home and ease the strain on resources.

“That’s one of the very unusual things about this illness: The patients who do get worse, their lungs start to deteriorate before they feel it themselves,” Dr Dutch explained.

He said the information being sent back to the hospital will tell doctors if the patient’s symptoms are deteriorating and require more intense treatment.

“The patients involved so far have found it reassuring that the hospital is with them at home,” he said.

Click PLAY to hear the full explainer with Dr Martin Dutch