The fight against COVID-19 outbreak in the city has been bolstered with nearly 8,480 patients having mild symptoms opting for home isolation, the Delhi government said on Friday.

While the Delhi government had issued guidelines for home isolation of confirmed very mild or pre-symptomatic cases on April 30, a ‘home isolation management system’ with built-in escalation mechanisms for patients who require critical care had been launched on May 8, a government official said.

A large number of people opting for home isolation has reduced the strain on hospital infrastructure, a Delhi government spokesperson said, adding: “If everyone opts for hospital beds, then the strain on the healthcare system will be more.” Instead, hospital resources are currently focused on severe patients, which brings down the number of deaths in the city, said officials.

As per guidelines, when a patient opts for home isolation, a team of ASHA workers check the suitability of the household for quarantine. Caregivers and close contacts are advised to take Hydroxychloroqine and download Aarogya Setu app.

Once a patient is identified for home isolation, an ID is created and the patient is called up to have their symptoms recorded. The patient then undergoes teleconsultation with a doctor to complete their “onboarding”, the official said. The patient is monitored daily, and there is regular relay of information to a doctor regarding symptoms. In case the symptoms get worse, the patient is referred to a hospital.

If the patient is asymptomatic after 17 days of quarantine, the home isolation is ended following a consultation with a doctor on Day 17.

Till June 17, 5,748 patients in home isolation had recovered and 367 were moved to hospitals.