Patients with mild coronavirus symptoms can now stay in home isolation, according to the new guidelines by the Health Ministry. As per the new guidelines, medical officers can recommend home isolation to those patients who have been clinically categorised as a very mild case or pre-symptomatic case, provided they have the requisite self-isolation facility at their residence so as to avoid contact with other family members. The guidelines also adds that the patient should regularly inform his health status to the district surveillance officer for further follow up by the surveillance teams. The caretaker 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. Besides, it call for downloading the Arogya Setu App on mobile and it should remain active all the time (through bluetooth and Wi-Fi). Immediate medical attention must be sought if serious signs or symptoms including difficulty in breathing, persistent pain or pressure in the chest, mental confusion, developing bluish discolorations of lips/face develop or if is advised by treating medical officer. “Patients under home isolation will end home isolation if symptoms are clinically resolved and the surveillance medical officer certifies him to be free of infection after laboratory testing,” the ministry stated. Currently, all suspected (awaiting test results) and confirmed cases of COVID-19 disease are being isolated and managed in a hospital setting with the intent to break the chain of transmission. As per the global evidence, 80 per cent of COVID cases are mild cases while remaining 20 per cent may develop complications which would require hospitalisation. Out of the hospitalized cases of COVID-19, only 5 per cent may require ICU care. According to experts, the primary treatment for COVID-19 is supportive treatment in more than 80 per cent of the patients and oxygen therapy in around 15 per cent of patients along with other drugs. The death toll due to COVID-19 rose to 934 and the number of cases climbed to 29,435 in the country on Tuesday, according to the ministry.
