The government has also specified the conditions under which home isolation can be prescribed for Covid-19 positive patients.

 

The central government on Thursday issued fresh guidelines governing home isolation for Coved 19 patients barring those suffering from immune-compromised status as seen in HIV infected individuals, transplant recipients or patients undergoing cancer therapy, from home isolation. The revised order also states that elderly patients above 60 years along with those suffering from comorbid conditions such as hypertension, diabetes, heart disease, chronic lung/liver/ kidney disease, cerebro-vascular disease etc, shall only be allowed home isolation after proper evaluation by the treating medical officer.

 

The order also specifically adds that the home isolation has to be prescribed by the treating doctor after he or she has satisfied himself or herself that the patient doesn’t need hospital care.

 

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The new guidelines supersede the guidelines issued on 10th May, 2020 and have been extended to include asymptomatic positive cases also besides very mild and pre-symptomatic cases in order to widen the net of monitoring and medical care in the view of a large number of asymptomatic cases being detected, says the revised guideline.

 

The revised guideline also lists the condition when a patient under home isolation will be considered to have recovered.

 

“Patient under home isolation will stand discharged after 10 days of symptom onset and no fever for 3 days. Thereafter, the patient will be advised to isolate at home and self-monitor their health for further 7 days. There is no need for testing after the home isolation period is over,” says the revised guideline. It adds that every discharged person must receive a fitness certificate by the field team.

 

The new guidelines have also put out a detailed protocol for monitoring of cases under home isolation. It says that all such cases have to be monitored on a daily level by the state apparatus including either through personal visit or follow up by a dedicated call centre.

 

“The clinical status of each case shall 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), as detailed in Annexure II. This mechanism to daily monitor those under home isolation shall be strictly adhered to,” the guidelines state.

 

It also directs authorities to update records of patients under home isolation on COVID-19 portal and facility app and makes senior state and district officials responsible for monitoring of the process.

 

It adds that the state/UT authorities must develop a mechanism to shift patients in case of violations or need for treatment. It also makes it mandatory to monitor and test all family members and close contacts of a positive patient under home isolation

 

Resource: Hindustan Times