Barwon Health remotely monitoring 230 Covid patients around Geelong

High-risk locals with Covid around Geelong are being provided vital equipment that monitors key health indicators remotely as part of a program keeping track of cases at home.

High-risk locals with Covid are being provided equipment that tracks their oxygen levels, pulse rate and temperature remotely as part of a program monitoring cases at home.

Barwon Health is monitoring about 230 people who are Covid positive across the Barwon South West region as part of its remote patient monitoring program.

Professor Eugene Athan, Barwon Health’s infectious diseases chief. Picture: Alison Wynd

Barwon South West public health unit director Eugene Athan said all Covid cases are assessed by the unit to determine their risk for developing severe disease, for example vaccination status, age and other medical conditions and are referred to the monitoring team for follow up.

“The remote patient monitoring service operates 24/7 with a team working from 8am to

8pm and a nurse also on-call outside of these hours,” Prof Athan said.

High-risk patients are provided equipment which allows clinicians to monitor for signs of deterioration and respond accordingly, which may include a planned transfer into hospital. “The team also provide education and self-care advice,” Prof Athan said.

“When people become unwell, a telehealth consult is arranged with an infectious diseases physician.”

The monitoring team make contact with people in the program during their isolation period

to check-in with their health and wellbeing.

“Covid positive people are also able to call the team if they need support or have questions about their health,” Prof Athan said.

“This program is part of our successful model of home monitoring for people with chronic diseases, including heart failure.”

Barwon Health also provides Sotrovimab to selected people with Covid that meet specific criteria.

“This is a monoclonal antibody treatment that can reduce the severity of illness,” Prof Athan said.

The Deck is an exposure site. Picture: Alan Barber

The Deck Geelong, at 2-4 Gheringhap Street, has been deemed a tier one exposure site on October 16 between 7pm and 9pm.

People at the venue in that time should get tested immediately and quarantine for 14 days from exposure.

Greater Geelong had 17 new cases reported on Friday, while Golden Plains had one new cases. No new cases were reported in Surf Coast or Colac-Otway municipalities.

As of Friday morning, Geelong hospital had 28 inpatients with Covid-19, including eight in the ICU.

“A further three are no longer active cases but continue to receive care in the ICU,” Prof Athan said.

Victoria reported 2189 new Covid cases on Friday, when lockdown was lifted in Melbourne and restrictions eased further in regional Victoria.

Originally published as Barwon Health remotely monitoring 230 Covid patients around Geelong