On Wednesday, the Union health ministry issued revised guidelines of home isolation for mild and asymptomatic Covid-19 infections. The Ministry said, "such patients will stand discharged and end isolation after at least seven days have passed from testing positive and no fever for 3 successive days."
The Ministry further said, "“It has been seen globally as well as in India that majority of cases of Covid-19 are either asymptomatic or have very mild symptoms. Such cases usually recover with minimal interventions and accordingly may be managed at home under proper medical guidance and monitoring."
Revised Guidelines for Home Isolation
- The patient should be clinically assigned as mild/ asymptomatic case by the treating medical officer. A designated control room contact number should be provided to the family of the patient to get suitable guidance for testing, clinical management-related guidance, assignment of a hospital bed etc.
- Patients should have the requisite facility at their residence for self-isolating and for quarantining the family contacts.
- To provide assistance, a caregiver, ideally fully vaccinated, should be available 24x7 for the communication.
- Senior Citizens above 60 years and those with co-morbid conditions such as hypertension, diabetes, heart disease, chronic lung/liver/ kidney disease, cerebrovascular disease etc. shall only be allowed for home isolation after proper evaluation by the treating medical officer.
- Patients should follow symptomatic management for fever, running nose and cough, as warranted.
- Patients may perform warm water gargles or take steam inhalation thrice a day.
- If fever is not controlled with a maximum dose of Tab. Paracetamol 650 mg four times a day, consult the treating doctor.
- Patient should wear triple layer clinical masks, preferably an N-95 mask. It is also advised to have self-monitoring of body temperature, as well as blood oxygen levels with a pulse oximeter.
- The district administration should monitor home isolation cases by communicating with them on a daily basis.