A Korean medical institution released the clinical outcome of two months of home treatment for Covid-19.

Over 1,200 Covid-19 patients received care at home for the past two months, and less than 3 percent of them were hospitalized. There was no death and no urgent transfer to an emergency room.

On Tuesday, Hana ENT Hospital, located in southern Seoul, released the results of the operation of the Covid-19 Home Treatment Center from November to December.

The hospital conducted remote monitoring twice a day, consulted the patients, and prescribed drugs remotely. Doctors exclusively assigned for these patients stayed at the hospital 24 hours a day and prepared for any emergency.

The hospital’s home treatment center monitored 1,269 patients from November to December. Almost all of them, or 96.7 percent, returned to their daily life after treatment.

During the two months, 35 patients, or 2.7 percent, were transferred to hospitals exclusively treating Covid-19 because their symptoms such as sore throat, coughing, and fever did not improve for three days. Seven others either wanted hospitalization voluntarily or transferred to a hospital with children. No patient was urgently transferred to an emergency room or died.

It took seven days from the onset of symptoms to the hospitalization in 40 percent of the hospitalized patients and between four to seven days, in 30 percent.

According to the hospital, among 40 patients, 60 percent of them were either unvaccinated or had the only first dose of a Covid-19 vaccine. Twenty-five percent were breakthrough infection cases.

Also, 21 percent of the patients had their family confirmed with Covid-19 during home treatment. In most cases, their family was diagnosed with Covid-19 on the same day as the patients, or the Covid-19 diagnosis on the family occurred within three days after the start of home care.

Only 3 percent of the patients transmitted the virus to their families during home treatment.

“Most of the patients who had home care during the past two months returned to normal life in healthy conditions. Among the hospitalized patients, there was no one whose conditions worsened or who died,” said Lee Sang-deok, director of Hana ENT Hospital. “It is urgent to make home care take root, as the Omicron concern is rising.”

Although there were breakthrough infections, most of the Covid-19 patients have not completed the full vaccination, he went on to say. “Getting a second dose and a booster shot is the best way to reduce the chance of transmission.”