NEW DELHI: The ministry of health and family welfare have issued revised guidelines for patients who are clinically assigned to be mild /asymptomatic and are recommended for home
isolation.
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%.
Clinically
assigned mild cases are patients with upper respiratory tract symptoms
(&/or fever) without shortness of breath and having oxygen saturation at
room air of more than 94%.
Patients eligible for home isolation
- The patient should be
clinically 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 care giver should be available to
provide care on 24 x7 basis. A communication link between the caregiver and
hospital is a 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, Cerebro-vascular disease etc
shall only be allowed home isolation after proper evaluation by the treating
medical officer.
- Patients suffering from immune
compromised status (HIV, Transplant recipients, Cancer therapy etc.) are not recommended
for home isolation and shall only be allowed home isolation after proper
evaluation by the treating medical officer.
- 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.
- In addition, the guidelines on home-quarantine for other members
available at: https://www.mohfw.gov.in/pdf/Guidelinesforhomequarantine.pdf, shall
be also followed.
Instructions for the patient
- Patient must isolate himself
from other household members, stay in the identified room and away from
other people in home, especially elderlies and those with co-morbid conditions
like hypertension, cardiovascular disease, renal disease etc.
- The patient should be kept in a well-ventilated room with cross ventilation and windows should
be kept open to allow fresh
air to come in.
- Patient should at all times use triple layer medical mask. Discard mask after 8 hours of use or earlier
if they become wet or visibly soiled. In the event of care giver entering the
room, both care giver and patient may consider using N 95 mask.
- Mask should be discarded only
after disinfecting it with 1% Sodium Hypochlorite.
- Patient must take rest and
drink lot of fluids to maintain adequate hydration.
- Follow respiratory etiquettes
at all times.
- Frequent handwashing with soap
and water for at least 40 seconds or clean with an alcohol-based sanitizer.
- Don't share personal items with
other people in the household.
- Ensure cleaning of surfaces
in the room that are touched often (tabletops, doorknobs, handles, etc.) with
1% hypochlorite solution.
- 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 and report
promptly if any deterioration of symptom as given below is noticed.
Monitoring chart for self-help
Day of symptoms and
time (every 4 hourly)
|
Temperature
|
Heart rate (from
pulse oximeter)
|
SpO2 % (from pulse oximeter)
|
Feeling: (better /same/worse)
|
Breathing: (better /
same/ worse)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Instructions for caregivers
i.
Mask:
- The caregiver should wear a
triple layer medical mask. N95 mask may be considered when in the same room with the ill person.
- Front portion of the mask
should not be touched or handled during use.
- If the mask gets wet or dirty
with secretions, it must be changed immediately.
- Discard the mask after use and
perform hand hygiene after disposal of the
mask.
- He/she should avoid touching
own face, nose or mouth.
Hand hygiene
- Hand hygiene must be ensured
following contact with ill person or his immediate environment.
- Hand hygiene should also be
practiced before and after preparing food, before eating, after using the
toilet, and whenever hands look dirty.
- Use soap and water for hand
washing at least for 40 seconds. Alcohol-based hand rub can be used, if hands are not visibly soiled.
- After using soap and water, use
of disposable paper towels to dry hands is desirable. If not available, use
dedicated clean cloth towels and replace them when they become wet.
- Perform hand hygiene before and
after removing gloves.
Exposure to patient/patient's environment
- Avoid direct contact with body fluids
of the patient, particularly oral or respiratory secretions. Use disposable gloves while handling the patient.
- Avoid exposure to potentially
contaminated items in his immediate environment (e.g. avoid sharing cigarettes,
eating utensils, dishes, drinks, used towels or bed linen).
- Food must be provided
to the patient in his room. Utensils
and dishes used by the patient
should be cleaned with soap/detergent and water wearing gloves. The utensils
and dishes may be re-used.
- Clean hands after taking off gloves
or handling used items. Use triple-layer medical mask and disposable gloves while cleaning
or handling surfaces, clothing or linen used by the patient.
- Perform hand hygiene before and after removing gloves.
Biomedical Waste disposal
Effective waste disposal shall
be ensured so as to prevent further spread of infection within household. The
waste (masks, disposable items, food packets etc.) should be disposed of as per
CPCB guidelines (available at: http://cpcbenvis.nic.in/pdf/1595918059_mediaphoto2009.pdf)
Treatment for patients with
mild /asymptomatic disease in home isolation
- Patients must be in
communication with a treating physician and promptly report in case of any
deterioration.
- Continue the medications for
other co-morbid illness after consulting the treating physician.
- Patients to follow symptomatic
management for fever, running nose and cough, as warranted.
- Patients may perform warm water
gargles or take steam inhalation twice a day.
- If fever is not controlled with a maximum
dose of Tab. Paracetamol 650mg four times a day, consult
the treating doctor who may consider advising other drugs like non-steroidal
anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) (ex: Tab. Naproxen 250 mg twice a day).
- Consider Tab Ivermectin (200
mcg/kg once a day, to be taken empty stomach) for 3 to 5 days.
- Inhalational Budesonide (given
via inhalers with spacer at a dose of 800 mcg twice daily for 5 to 7 days) to
be given if symptoms (fever and/or cough) are persistent beyond 5 days of
disease onset.
- The decision to administer
Remdesivir or any other investigational therapy must be taken by a medical
professional and administered only in a hospital setting. Do not attempt to procure or administer Remdesivir at home.
- Systemic oral steroids not indicated in mild disease. If symptoms persist
beyond 7 days (persistent fever, worsening cough etc.) consult the treating
doctor for treatment with low dose oral steroids.
- In case of falling oxygen
saturation or shortness of breath, the person should require hospital admission
and seek immediate consultation of their treating physician/surveillance team.
When to seek medical attention
Patient
/ Caregiver will keep monitoring their health. Immediate medical attention
must be sought if serious signs or symptoms develop. These could include-
- Difficulty in breathing,
- Dip in oxygen saturation (SpO2
< 94% on room air)
- Persistent pain/pressure in the chest,
- Mental confusion or inability
to arouse,
When to discontinue home isolation
Patient under home isolation will stand discharged and
end isolation after at least 10 days have passed from onset of symptoms
(or from date of sampling
for asymptomatic cases)
and no fever for 3 days. There
is no need for testing after the home isolation period is over.
Role of State/District Health Authorities
- States/ Districts should
monitor all cases under home isolation.
- The health status of those under home isolation should be monitored
by the field staff/surveillance
teams through personal visit along with a dedicated call centre to follow up
the patients on daily basis.
- The clinical status of each
case shall be recorded by the field staff/call centre (body temperature, pulse
rate and oxygen saturation). The field staff will guide the patient on
measuring these parameters and provide the instructions (for patients and their
care givers). This mechanism to daily
monitor those under home isolation shall be strictly adhered to.
- Details about patients under home isolation should also be updated on COVID-19 portal
and facility app (with DSO as
user). Senior State and District officials should monitor the records updation.
- A mechanism to shift patient in
case of violation or need for treatment has to be established and implemented. Sufficient dedicated ambulances for the same shall be organised. Wide publicity for the same shall also be given to the community.
- All family members and close
contacts shall be monitored and tested as per protocol by the field staff.
- Patient on home isolation will
be discharged from treatment as indicate above. These discharge guidelines
shall be strictly adhered to.