As surge fueled by the Omicron variant lead to over 90,000 fresh COVID-19 cases in the last 24 hours, 56 per cent higher than the previous day’s 58,097 cases, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) issued revised guidelines on Wednesday laying down home isolation rules for mild and asymptomatic cases clarifying the criteria, precautions that need to be followed by such patients and their families and signs to monitor and when to seek medical attention.
Here are the key highlights of the new guidelines:
The home isolation period for mild/asymptomatic COVID-19 patients reduced from 10 to seven days. Patients will stand discharged and end isolation after at least seven days have passed from testing positive. Home isolation period will end when the patient has no fever for three successive days after turning negative.
The patient should be clinically assigned as mild/asymptomatic case by the treating Medical Officer.
Asymptomatic contacts of infected individuals need not undergo Covid test and monitor health in home quarantine.
A designated control room contact number at the district/sub district level shall be provided to the family. It will provide suitable guidance for undertaking testing, clinical management, assignment of a hospital bed.
There is no need for re-testing after the home isolation period is over, the new guideline suggests.
Such cases should have the requisite facility at their residence for self-isolation and for quarantining family contacts.
A caregiver who is fully vaccinated should be available to provide care to the patient on 24×7 basis.
Elderly patients above 60 years shall only be allowed home isolation after proper evaluation by treating medical officer. The same will be applied for patients with co-morbid conditions like hypertension, diabetes, heart/kidney/lung/liver disease.
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