Nagpur: After due consideration Nagpur Municipal Corporation has issued an order allowing home isolation to fully vaccinated COVID-19 patients who are asymptomatic and showing mild symptoms. Municipal Commissioner Radhakrishnan B, on Monday evening issued an order with directions of home isolation be availed by fully vaccinated COVID-19 patients but asymptomatic or with mild symptoms.
Those who are not yet due for their second dose of vaccine also shall be allowed home isolation. The order says, home isolation is allowed to asymptomatic cases; mild cases of COVID-19. The asymptomatic cases are laboratory confirmed cases not experiencing any symptoms and having oxygen saturation at room air of more than 94%.
Critically assigned mild cases are patients with upper respiratory tract symptoms and or fever with shortness of breath and having oxygen saturation at room air of more than 94%. Municipal Commissioner has defined the eligibility of the persons who can avail the facility of home isolation. The patient should be critically assigned as mild/asymptomatic case by the treating Medical Officer.
Such cases should have the requisite facility at their residence for self isolation and for quarantining the family contacts. A caregiver should be available to provide care on 24×7 basis. A communication link between the caregiver and hospital is prerequisite for the entire duration of home isolation.
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. Patients suffering from immune compromises status (HIV, Transplant recipients, cancer therapy) are not recommended for home isolation. In the guidelines for home isolation Radhakrishnan B has made it clear that patient should be kept in a separate, well-ventilated room with cross ventilation.
Patient should at all times use triple layer medical mask. Mask should be discarded after every eight hours. Patient must take rest and drink lot of fluids to maintain adequate hydration. Follow respiratory etiquettes. Self-monitoring of blood oxygen saturation with a pulse oximeter is strongly advised. The patient will self-monitor his/her health with daily temperature monitoring.
Municipal Commissioner has made it clear that such home isolated persons will be monitored closely by officers of NMC. Any violations will be viewed seriously and the violators will be sent to institutional quarantine being run by civic body. Home isolated persons are asked to contact at 0712- 2567021 for any assistance.
