Coronavirus disease and home recovery: a Singapore perspective

Abstract

At the beginning of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic in Singapore, the strategy initially involved aggressive ring-fencing of infections, before pivoting towards managing recurrent local interspersed outbreaks of COVID-19. A key feature of Singapore's efforts to preserve health-care capacity was the implementation of the nationwide Home Recovery Programme (HRP), whereby patients were allowed to recover at home as long as they met certain criteria. The programme was centrally coordinated by Singapore's Ministry of Health and was supported by telemedicine providers, primary care physicians and government agencies. This report aims to highlight Singapore's experience in coordinating and implementing the HRP, the challenges faced and the outcomes.