Mumbai: The State health department has issued new guidelines, which stipulate that asymptomatic or mild Covid-19 cases can be isolated at home for 17 days, if appropriate facilities (a 24-hour caregiver and a separate room and toilet) are available at their home. Health officials said such patients need to file an affidavit or self-declaration form and authorities will decide whether they should be hospitalised or isolated at home.
This comes after the state government issued a letter instructing all district collectors, municipal commissioners, district surgeons and district health officers in this regard. “As per the guidelines of the Central government, patients with Covid-19 are admitted to the hospitals in a three-tier treatment system, according to the symptoms. However, corona patients who have mild symptoms or are asymptomatic will be offered the option of home segregation with their consent, if appropriate facilities are available in their home," said an official.
According to Additional Municipal Commissioner Suresh Kakani, asymptomatic high-risk or close contacts of positive patients will be home-isolated only after medical health officers have certified that the patient has mild or no symptoms. “Individuals who opt for home quarantine should have isolation facilities at home for themselves, as well as for their family members. The patient must also have a day and night care person at home. There should be a communication system (telephone, mobile) between the care provider and the treating hospital,” read the guidelines.
An individual seeking to avail the facility needs to file a self-declaration form or an affidavit, stating he will be following all the protocols or norms issued for home isolation. “Caregivers and all close family members should take hydroxychloroquine, in accordance with the protocol of medical authorities and the Arogya Setu app must be operational on mobile. It will be mandatory to provide information about the patient to the team coming for the survey,” said Kakani.
“Caregivers need to update the health condition of the patients to the BMC control room. Moreover, if a patient's condition does not improve, then he should be shifted to hospital for treatment,” he added.
Dr Daksha Shah, deputy executive health officer, said, “Seventeen days after the onset of symptoms in a person with home detachment or 17 days after the day the sample was taken for testing if the patient has no symptoms, including no fever for 10 days, he can be released from home quarantine.”
