In the wake of the consistent rise in the corona cases, the centre released revised guidelines for asymptomatic Covid patients or patients with mild symptoms under home isolation on Wednesday.
It has become important to take extra care of yourself and those around you in these times of crisis. Here are the main highlights of the revised guidelines to help you stay healthy:
Who is eligible for home isolation?
- The patient who is clinically assigned by the treating medical officer as a mild or asymptomatic case.
- Such patients must have requisites arranged at their homes for self-isolation. All facilities should be arranged if possible for them and for quarantining family contacts as well.
- A caregiver to look after the patients 24x7 should be made available. For the entire duration of home isolation, there must be a communication link between the caregiver and the hospital. It is a prerequisite.
- Senior citizens of the age 60 and above and patients who have co-morbid conditions like diabetes, hypertension, heart disease, cerebro-vascular disease and so on, such people must be allowed home isolation only after proper evaluation by the treating medical officer.
- People around such cases including the caregivers must take Hydroxychloroquine prophylaxis. It must be done as per the protocol and as prescribed by the doctor.
How to treat such patients?
- The patient must be in touch with a treating physician and should reach out in case of any deterioration.
- Consult your treating medical officer about whether or not to continue medicines of co-morbid conditions.
- Patients should follow symptomatic management for symptoms like cough, running nose and fever.
- Patients should perform warm water gargles and take steam twice a day.
- If the fever of the patients is not getting better by taking Paracetamol 650 mg four times a day, he/she should consult the treating doctor who may prescribe some other non-steroidal anti inflammatory drug.
- Tab Ivermectin (200 mcg/kg) can be taken empty stomach once a day for 3-5 days.
- Only a medical professional is to take the decision to administer Remdesivir or any other investigational therapy. This must be done in a hospital setting only. Patients are not to procure or administer Remdesivir at home.
When to end home isolation?
- Patients can end home isolation after at least 10 days have passed from the onset of symptoms and must not have fever for 3 days.
