The emergence of COVID-19 has brought major changes to both the society and life patterns. Citizens have learned to coexist with the pandemic, and adapt to the new normal under it, including various infection prevention and quarantine measures in their daily life. Many who have been subject to compulsory quarantine have been making good use of video calls to keep in touch with relatives, friends and colleagues and maintain communications with others. However, they sometimes feel confused and helpless under emergencies. A customer had both physical and mental health problems previously during the compulsory quarantine period, so she took the initiative to seek help from Cigna to resolve the problems and arrange Telehealth Service.
Mental Stress Induced under the Pandemic
Ms. Chan is a housewife. Her husband was unfortunately infected with COVID-19 earlier this year with multiple symptoms and was sent to the hospital for treatment. Ms. Chan and her son were sent to Penny’s Bay Quarantine Centre for compulsory quarantine. During the period, she was very worried about her husband’s health condition and feared that she would not be able to see each other in the future. She sometimes cried and felt depressed when she thought of her husband, and felt lonely and helpless as she could not meet her family and friends. During the quarantine period, she suffered from certain physical and psychological problems, including: frequent itchy skin, worsening hair loss, inability to fall asleep sometimes, waking up at midnight sometimes, difficulty to fall asleep again, and feeling huge psychological pressure all the time.
Telehealth Service
Ms. Chan is a customer of Cigna. When she felt worried, she called Cigna's dedicated 24-hour hotline in the quarantine camp for inquiries. Under the arrangement of Cigna's Care Manager, she quickly received our Telehealth Service. Initially, the doctor suspected that she was suffering from skin problems including frequent itchy and sensitive skin due to her mental stress. She was referred to a dermatologist after she left the quarantine camp. The doctor provided her with some tips on keeping her body and mind healthy in the quarantine camp, as well as skin care tips, so that she could adapt as soon as possible and weather the isolation smoothly.
Ms. Chan found that the assistance provided by the dedicated Care Manager is very useful and practical. The service saved her time in finding a suitable doctor, so that she could focus on emergencies during the quarantine and taking care of her son. With the qualification of registered nurse, Care Managers can provide professional medical advice, including providing emotional support to Ms. Chan, and helping her understand the various types of medical services available during quarantine, thereby alleviating her heavy mental pressure to make her feel at ease.
The Following is the “Health Tips for Fighting the Virus” Provided by the Department of Health:
1. Restrain self from constantly checking updates or news related to the outbreak. Check updates at specific times of the day and limit the number of times of checking updates per day. This can help ease worries and anxiety.
2. Analyze information from the Internet or friends prudently. Be aware of hearsay. Acquire accurate information about protective measures from credible sources such as the Centre for Health Protection of the Department of Health and the World Health Organization etc. Before receiving information about the outbreak, allow yourself a moment of pause and calm yourself down. Consult with your family or friends.
3. Plan ahead to minimize anxiety and confusion if you have regular medical appointments. You can contact hospitals or clinics or browse their websites ahead of time to learn about the special arrangement for medical follow-up or picking up of medications and the necessary precautions when visiting these places.
4. Make sure you have a regular schedule, regular exercise, balanced diet, and adequate rest.
5. Do simple physical exercises at home (e.g. stretching, Tai Chi, etc.) or engage in mentally stimulating activities (e.g. reading, playing chess or jigsaw puzzle, etc.)
6. Keep a regular sleeping pattern, reduce intake of caffeine and avoid using electronic devices before sleep so as not to affect sleep.
7. Accept all your feelings without suppressing or avoiding. Understand that fear stems from worries about the future. You can try to bring your attention back to the present moment, for example, things that you can control.
8. Learn to slow down your pace and pay attention to things that you have not noticed before, like the scenery outside your window, or the temperature of the water while washing your hands, etc.
9. Arrange activities that you can enjoy at home, such as listening to music, singing, practicing calligraphy, and gardening, etc.
10. Practice relaxation exercises such as diaphragmatic breathing and mindful breathing regularly to relax your body and mind.
11. Always remind yourself that you are not alone. Your family, relatives, friends, and neighbors are in this fight against the disease together. Face the outbreak with a positive and optimistic attitude. Look out for encouraging news, such as recovered people being discharged from hospital, etc.
12. Show your care to or chit-chat with family or friends, or share worries, or offer encouragement to one another by calling on the phone or text messaging. You may offer help to people in need of assistance if you can. For example, you can check on elderly people living alone to see if they need any help.
If you find yourself or family members experiencing persistent emotional distress for 2 weeks or more and it significantly affects your daily functioning, you should seek help from healthcare professionals promptly.
Our Care Manager Provides You with Heart-warming Services
At present, Cigna’s customers can receive our Healthcare Concierge Service when receiving treatment, including a dedicated Care Manager for follow-up. The services are as follows:
- Staffed by registered nurses and provide customers with professional advisory if they are facing health issue, 24-hour Cigna HealthFirst Elite 360 Hotline at 8100 3705
- Understands and analyzes the health condition of customers, and offers network doctor options
- Coordinates and follows up on hospital surgery or treatment arrangements and post-surgery visit
- Provides information on improving health, and post-discharge follow-up in person(for example, arranging post-discharge physiotherapy, nutrition guidance, meal delivery service, and more)
- Refers you to personalized services (for example, local limousine transportation to the hospital, nursing arrangements, virtual consultation, medication delivery, home modification, and more)
- Provides emotional support for customers and their family
- Helps arrange “Cigna Health Services At Home” – for example, arranging for cancer patients to receive chemotherapy at home which agreed by doctor to ease the burden of travelling and reduce the risk of infection
The above content is adapted from real cases. Should you have any questions regarding the above case, please contact Cigna for inquiries.
The content of the article cannot substitute for professional opinions or diagnosis of the attending doctors. Should you have any questions regarding the medical treatment plan, please consult your attending doctor.
However, the content of the above article is for reference only, and Cigna shall not be liable for the related content and information.
You may feel lonely and helpless if you have a physical and mental health problem during the compulsory quarantine period and no immediate assistance is available. The new Cigna VHIS Flexi Plan (Superior) provides one-stop Telehealth Service and medication services, offering you video medical consultations anytime and anywhere without fear of COVID-19. The plan offers annual coverage of up to HK$30,000,000 with no lifetime limit, and medical expenses are fully covered. Click here to learn more about your health protection options now.