Isolate, Triple Layer Mask: Centre's New Covid Guidelines For Mild Or Asymptomatic Cases

The revised guidelines are applicable to the Covid-19 patients, who have been clinically assessed and assigned as mild or asymptomatic cases.

Representational Image. (File Pic)

New Delhi: With India witnessing the third wave of the pandemic, the Union Health Ministry on Wednesday issued revised guidelines for home isolation of the Covid-19 patients.

The revised guidelines are applicable to the Covid-19 patients, who have been clinically assessed and assigned as mild or asymptomatic cases.

“The asymptomatic cases are laboratory confirmed cases who are not experiencing any symptoms and have oxygen saturation at room air of more than 93%,” the Union Health Ministry said in a release.

“Clinically assigned mild cases are patients with upper respiratory tract symptoms with or without fever, without shortness of breath and having oxygen saturation at room air of more than 93%,” the release added.

The patients eligible for home isolation:

• The patients should be clinically assigned as mild/asymptomatic case by the treating medical officer.
• A designated control room contact number at the district/sub district level shall be provided to the family to get suitable guidance for undertaking testing, clinical management related guidance, assignment of a hospital bed if warranted.
• Such cases should have the requisite facility at their residence for home-isolation and for quarantining the family contacts.
• A caregiver, ideally someone who has completed his Covid-19 vaccine schedule, should be available to provide care on 24x7 basis. A communication link between the caregiver and a medical officer is a prerequisite for the entire duration of home isolation.
• The elderly patients aged more than 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 home isolation after proper evaluation by the treating medical officer.
• The patients suffering from immune compromised status (HIV, transplant recipients, cancer therapy etc.) are not allowed for home isolation and shall be allowed home isolation after proper evaluation by the treating medical officer.
• While a patient is allowed home isolation, all other family members, including other contacts shall follow the home quarantine guidelines available at https://www.mohfw.gov.in/pdf/Guidelinesforhomequatantine.pdf.   

Instructions for the patient:

• The patient should isolate himself from other household members, stay in the identified room and away from other people in home, especially elderly and those with co-morbid conditions such as hypertension, cardiovascular disease, renal disease etc.
• The patient should stay in a well-ventilated room with cross ventilation and windows should be kept open to allow fresh air to come in.
• The patient should at all times use triple layer medical mask. They should discard mask after eight hours of use or earlier if the mask becomes wet or is visibly soiled. In the event of caregiver entering the room, both caregiver and patient may preferably consider using N-95 mask.
• The mask should be discarded after cutting them to pieces and putting in a paper bag for a minimum of 72 hours.
• The patient must take rest and drink lot of fluids to maintain adequate hydration.
• The patient must follow respiratory etiquettes at all times.
• The patient must undertake frequent hand washing with soap and water for at least 40 seconds or clean with alcohol-based sanitizer.
• Need to ensure cleaning of frequently touched surfaces in the room (tabletops, doorknobs, handles etc.) with soap, detergent and water. The cleaning can be undertaken either by the caregiver or patient duly following required precautions such as use of masks and gloves.
• Self-monitoring of blood oxygen saturation with a pulse oximeter for the patient is advised.
• The patient shall self-monitor his/her health with daily temperature monitoring and report promptly if any deterioration of symptom is noticed. The status shall be shared with the treating medical officer as well as surveillance teams/control room.