Morocco Shifts COVID-19 Strategy: Home Care for Mild Cases as Virus Spreads

The Director of Epidemiology at the Ministry of Health, Mohamed Lyoubi, explained to Hespress that there have been several revisions of the protocol for the management of patients who tested positive for covid-19, since the beginning of the pandemic in Morocco. Often, the scientific committee, before pronouncing itself, takes into account "the development of the epidemiological situation, the state of advancement of knowledge about the virus, about the disease, the scientific documentation that is regularly published".

It is in this way that, during the last meeting of the committee, several biological criteria, such as "the very good clinical evolution of the patients as well as the negativity of the clinical tests", made it possible to "review the discharge criteria from the hospital and to recommend others, namely a period of home confinement".

However, Mohamed Lyoubi assures that the rule according to which "the patient tested positive for covid-19 is initially taken care of by the hospital" has not changed. According to him, the patient "is taken care of as soon as there is a suspicion, even before confirmation by the laboratory". He explained that "the passage through the hospital for a period of ten days is mandatory, since the treatment of covid-19 lasts 10 days". Thus, when the patient meets the conditions for home confinement, he is released.

At the patient’s home, "the conditions of physical distancing and barrier gestures must be respected. He must be installed alone, in a well-ventilated room," specifies the Director of Epidemiology. It is only under these conditions that the patient can benefit from home confinement, indicates Hespress.

With the announcement of the decision to change the care protocol, some have felt that its high cost would be partly responsible. In response to this concern, Mohamed Lyoubi assures that this aspect is in no way taken into account. "We take into account what is, medically speaking, the best for public health and to prevent the spread of the virus. So, in 10 days of treatment, we note a clinical improvement (the patient has a low chance of spreading the disease); we give ourselves 14 additional days at home if the conditions are met," specifies the same source.