As a large number of people showing no symptoms being detected for COVID-19, the Union health ministry on Thursday revised the home isolation guidelines. The guidelines come against India’s rising COVID-19 tally to 6,04,641 on Thursday, with a single-day increase of 19,148 cases, just five days after it crossed the 5 lakh-mark. The death toll due to the disease rose to 17,834 with 434 new fatalities, according to health ministry data updated at 8 am.
These discharge guidelines shall be strictly adhered to along with the issuance of a fitness certificate by the field team, officials said.
Revised guidelines for home isolation
- Asymptomatic positive patients will now be included in the list of mild or pre-symptomatic coronavirus infection cases
- Patients suffering from immune-compromised status (like HIV, transplant recipients, cancer therapy) will not be eligible for home isolation
- Elderly patients aged more than 60 years and those with co-morbid conditions such as hypertension, diabetes, heart disease, chronic lung/liver/kidney disease and cerebrovascular disease among others shall only be allowed home isolation after proper evaluation by the treating medical officer
- Patients under home isolation will stand discharged after 10 days of onset of symptoms and no fever for three days
- Following discharge, the patient will be advised to isolate at home and self-monitor their health for a further of seven days. There is no need for testing after the home isolation period is over
- Asymptomatic patients like the ones who are pre-symptomatic and have very mild symptoms can opt for home isolation if they have the requisite self-isolation facility at their residence so as to avoid contact with other family members
- A caregiver should be available to provide care on 24×7 basis and communication link between the caregiver and hospital is a prerequisite for the entire duration of home isolation
- The caregiver and all close contacts of such cases should take hydroxychloroquine as a preventive medication according to the protocol and as prescribed by the treating medical officer
- The Arogya Setu mobile application should be downloaded by all and that it should remain active at all times (through Bluetooth and wi-fi)
- Patients should monitor their health and regularly inform the health status to the district surveillance officer, who will facilitate further follow up by the surveillance teams
- The patient also has to give an undertaking stating being diagnosed as a confirmed/suspect case of COVID-19, he/she hereby voluntarily undertake to maintain strict self-isolation at all times for the prescribed period.
- Immediate medical attention must be sought if serious signs or symptoms, including difficulty in breathing, dip in oxygen saturation, persistent pain/pressure in the chest, mental confusion or inability to arouse, slurred speech/seizures, weakness or numbness in any limb or face and developing bluish discolorations of lips/face
- States and districts should monitor all such cases, and the health status of those under home isolation should be monitored by the field staff/surveillance teams through personal visits along with a dedicated call center to follow up on the patients on a daily basis
- The clinical status of each case should be recorded by the field staff/call center (body temperature, pulse rate and oxygen saturation)
- The field staff will guide the patient on measuring these parameters and provide the instructions (for patients and their caregivers)
- Details about patients under home isolation should also be updated on COVID-19 portal and facility app (with DSO as user)
- The mechanism to shift the patient in case of violation or need for treatment has to be established and implemented
- All family members and close contacts shall be monitored and tested as per protocol by the field staff