The Union health ministry on Thursday issued revised guidelines for home isolation of patients who have mild coronavirus infection or are asymptomatic.

Asymptomatic patients, as per the revised rules, are those who are not experiencing any symptoms and having oxygen saturation of more than 94%. Mild cases are the ones where patients have upper respiratory tract symptoms or fever without shortness of breath.

The revised guidelines were released at a time when the second wave of pandemic has overwhelmed hospitals across the country. In the past 24 hours, India recorded 3,79,257 new coronavirus cases, the largest single-day total in the world, taking the country’s total since the pandemic broke out in January 2020 to 1,83,76,524. A further 3,645, the highest so far, took the toll to 2,04,832.

Here are the new guidelines:

  • A patient needs to be clinically assigned as mild or asymptomatic case by the treating medical officer. The person also needs to have the requisite facility at their residence for self-isolation and quarantining the family contacts.
  • The government advised against procuring or administering anti-viral drug remdesivir at home. “The decision to administer remdesivir or any other investigational therapy must be taken by a medical professional and administered only in a hospital setting,” it said.
  • Patient should at all times use triple layer medical mask and discard it after 8 hours of use or earlier if they become wet or visibly soiled. In the event of caregiver entering the room, both caregiver and patient may consider using N95 mask. A communication link between the caregiver and the hospital is a prerequisite for the entire duration of home isolation.
  • The patient should be kept in well-ventilated rooms and the windows should be kept open to allow fresh air to come in.
  • Patient must drink lot of fluids to maintain adequate hydration and monitor blood oxygen saturation with a pulse oximeter.
  • Elderly patients aged more than 60 years and those with co-morbid conditions such as hypertension, diabetes, heart disease, chronic lung or liver or kidney disease, cerebrovascular disease shall only be allowed home isolation after a proper evaluation by the treating medical officer. Meanwhile, immuno compromised patients, including those who are HIV positive, transplant recipients, are not recommended for home isolation and shall only be allowed home isolation only after a proper evaluation.  
  • In case of falling oxygen saturation levels or shortness of breath, the person should require hospital admission and seek immediate consultation with the treating physician or surveillance team.
  • If symptoms persist beyond seven days, that is persistent fever, worsening cough among others, the health ministry recommended patients to consult doctor for treatment with low-dose oral steroids.
  • Patients are recommended warm-water gargles and to take steam inhalation twice a day.
  • Effective disposal of biomedical waste as per Central Pollution Control Board guidelines is recommended by the health ministry.
  • Patients under home isolation will stand discharged after at least 10 days have passed from the onset of the symptoms (or from the date of sampling for asymptomatic cases) and no fever for three days. There is no need for testing after the home isolation period is over.