The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has issued guidelines for home isolation of people who either have very mild COVID-19 symptoms or are in the pre-symptomatic phase.
Such patients with requisite self-isolation facility at their residence will now have the option for home isolation
“The present guidelines are in addition to guidelines on appropriate management of suspect/confirmed case of COVID-19 issued by MoHFW on April 7. All suspected (awaiting test results) and confirmed cases of COVID-19 disease are currently being isolated and managed in a hospital setting with the intent to break the chain of transmission,” the statement said.
“As per existing guidelines, during the containment phase the patients should be clinically assigned as very mild/mild, moderate or severe and accordingly admitted to (i) COVID Care Center, (ii) Dedicated COVID Health Center or (iii) Dedicated COVID Hospital respectively. However, very mild/presymptomatic patients having the requisite facility at his/her residence for self-isolation will have the option for home isolation,” it said.
Eligibility for home isolation
- The person should be clinically assigned as a very mild case/ pre-symptomatic case by the treating medical officer.
- Such cases should have the requisite facility at their residence for self-isolation and also for quarantining the family contacts
- A care giver should be available to provide care on 24 x7 basis. A communication link between the caregiver and hospital is a prerequisite for the entire duration of home isolation.
- The care giver and all close contacts of such cases should take Hydroxychloroquine prophylaxis as per protocol and as prescribed by the treating medical officer.
- Download Arogya Setu App on mobile (available at: https://www.mygov.in/aarogya-setuapp/) and it should remain active at all times (through Bluetooth and Wi-Fi)
- The patient shall agree to monitor his health and regularly inform his health status to the District Surveillance Officer for further follow up by the surveillance teams.
- The patient will fill in an undertaking on self-isolation and shall follow home quarantine guidelines. Such individual shall be eligible for home isolation.
Patients under home isolation will end home isolation if symptoms are clinically resolved and the surveillance medical officer certifies him/her to be free of infection after laboratory testing, the Ministry said.
