In the latest advisory, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare on Tuesday said that very mild or pre-symptomatic COVID-19 patients can stay in home isolation, if they have the requisite facility at their residence.

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.

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.

The ministry has issued guidelines for home isolation for Coronavirus patients who have only either very mild symptoms of the infection or are “pre-symptomatic”.

Who are eligible 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 24×7 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 and it should remain active at all times.
• 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.

Meanwhile, patients or caregivers must seek immediate medical attention if serious signs or symptoms develop. These include:

• Difficulty in breathing
• Persistent pain/pressure in the chest
• Mental confusion or inability to arouse
• Developing bluish discolorations of lips/face
• As advised by treating medical officer

When to discontinue home isolation:

Patients under home isolation can end home isolation if their symptoms are clinically resolved and the surveillance medical officer certifies him or her to be free of infection after lab test are done.

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Total confirmed COVID-19 cases in India have risen to 29,435, according to the latest update from the Union Health Ministry on Tuesday morning, with the toll in the country due to the novel Coronavirus pandemic rising to 934.