The outbreak of COVID-19 has led to delays of elective surgeries or surgeries that are not considered an emergency. If you recently did the surgery, you must take steps to protect yourself and those around you. Some surgeries may make you more prone to infections. Consult your physician if your recovery affects your risk of getting COVID-19. You suspect that you have symptoms of COVID-19, self-quarantine for 14 days, and monitor your temperature regularly. When you visit your doctor for follow-up care, consider telehealth video or phone calls and visits from home care professionals. If you must go to the doctor’s, ensure that you wear a mask, wash your hands frequently, and practice social distancing as stipulated in the COVID-19 guidelines.

ESKD health care reforms

There are two main healthcare reforms for end-stage kidney disease (ESKD) that have increased support for home-based dialysis that aids in reducing risks presented by the COVID-19 19 pandemic. First is the ESKD prospective payment system with a reimbursement structure that has encouraged the increased use of home-based dialysis in the United States. Second is the recently signed Executive Order on Advancing American Kidney Health that aims to reduce ESKD-related costs while improving care. Due to the lower risk of COVID-19 19 exposure from home-based dialysis, more patients are resistant to COVID-19 19 morbidity and mortality limiting the spread of infection in communities. Besides, older patients will benefit from home dialysis. In the United Kingdom and Canada,  older people have assistance when they wish to have home-based dialysis; Research shows that patient satisfaction is higher for assisted dialysis than in-center dialysis.

Home-based therapy has become the order of the day due to the emergence of COVID-19. Hence, you must ensure that whether it is home-based dialysis or post-surgery care, the COVID-19 guidelines, especially the stay-at-home directive, should be followed as much as possible. If you are going for elective surgery, you will do well to postpone the surgery if your condition does not require urgent attention. A UK study shows that COVID-19 19 patients who undergo surgery are at increased risk of postoperative death and pulmonary complications.

The COVID-19 era has made health experts more innovative in administering care; the same should apply to you. If you have underlying health conditions, you should consult your physician before undergoing any form of dialysis, whether home-based or in-center. In the case of home-based dialysis, you should try to do it independently or get a skilled caregiver to do it for you. Anyone who handles the dialysis equipment must also follow all the guidelines like sanitizing and regular hand washing.