Asymptomatic & those with mild symptoms can opt for home quarantine

Mysuru: The surging

Covid-19

graph in Karnataka has compounded difficulties for the state government, which is grappling with the problem of inadequate

healthcare infrastructure

. In a bid to reduce pressure on hospitals, the

state government

has decided to allow Covid-19 patients who are either asymptomatic or showing only mild symptoms to quarantine themselves at home. However, there is a caveat, patients choosing

home quarantine

must have necessary medical devices to regularly check their pulse and body temperature. More importantly, they should remain isolated from the rest of the household.

The move is also likely to be greeted with some relief by the public. A taluk administration officer who tested positive for the novel coronavirus will be the first patient, excluding healthcare workers who have been infected, who will remain quarantined at home. The authorities in Mysuru are putting in place a system to test the efficacy of the new set-up. Based on their observations, they will decide whether or not home quarantine will be sufficient.

The authorities will also offer the choice to patients currently housed in hospitals to stay quarantined at home as long as they meet the aforementioned criteria. However, the option will not be available to those aged above 60 and patients with co-morbidities.

Mysuru deputy commissioner

Abhiram G Sankar

said that patients who opt for home quarantine would have to invest in devices such as pulse oximeter, infrared thermometer, et al. “Not everyone will be eligible for home isolation. Each case will be reviewed by a team of officials, who will take the call,” Sankar said.

The DC told TOI, “We will give asymptomatic patients at the Covid hospital the choice to move home in a day or two once the new system is in place. Furthermore, the new system will relieve the patients of stress, and ease the burden on the administration.”

Under the current setup, patients are discharged from the designated hospitals ten days after they are admitted, provided the medical parameters indicate that they have been cured of the infection. They are subsequently monitored for a fortnight more. Hospitals are no longer performing confirmatory tests prior to discharging a patient as was the earlier practice. “There are no records of the infection relapsing after patients are discharged,” Sankar added.


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