Covid: Nearly 2,500 apply for home isolation in city

Prayagraj: Nearly 2,500 asymptomatic Covid positive patients have gone under home isolation in Sangam city since the state notified the rule on July 20 and 1,067 of them have been completed their home isolation and and recovered till now. However, the officials of health department have also rejected the application of 368 patients after the rapid response team (RRT) disapproved the living condition at their homes during inspection.
In past 48 hours, as many as 253 patients (111 and 142 patients on August 14 and August 15 respectively) have completed their home isolation.
Nodal Officer and additional chief medical officer, Dr. Rishi Sahai told TOI, “With Sangam city crossing the 5000 mark of covid patients, nearly 2,500 asymptomatic patients have gone under home isolation till now”.
He further added that the permission for home isolation was granted only after Rapid Response Teams (RRT) approved the patients’ living condition at their homes during an inspection. The health department has formed over 12 RRTs to check the conditions at a patient’s home before granting them permission for home isolation. Dr. Sahai clarified that only asymptomatic patients can opt for home isolation if they have the requisite self-isolation facility at home, while avoiding contact with other family members. If the patients are granted permission for home isolation, they must have a home quarantine kit comprising a pulse Oximeter, a digital thermometer, masks, sterile gloves, sodium hypochlorite and, tablets of awshwagandha, giloy tablet and vitamin C.
Dr. Sahai also claimed, “On an average, around 50 patients with asymptomatic characters apply for home quarantine facility daily. Once a patient applies for home isolation, an RRT is assigned to visit the home for inspection. The team is asked to compile details like the patient’s name, age , sex, address, ward no (number of monitoring committee), mobile number, the date when they tested Covid-19 positive, and if he/she is experiencing cough, cold, breathlessness, blood pressure, blood sugar or oxygen saturation.” The RRT also collects details of a patient if they are suffering from any other ailment. “Patients suffering from any other ailments are not eligible for the facility.”
The team also verify other prime details like the number of rooms and toilets and members in the patient’s family. As per the guidelines, a caregiver should be available to tend to a patient on a 24x7 basis and a communication link between the former and the hospital is a prerequisite for the period of isolation. The guidelines mandate that patient must download the Aarogya Setu app and it should remain active at all times. The officials said that patients should monitor their health and regularly inform the district surveillance officer about its status. The patient also has to give an undertaking stating that being confirmed/suspected case of Covid-19, he/she voluntarily undertakes to maintain strict self-isolation for prescribed period. Immediate medical attention must be sought if symptoms like difficulty in breathing, dip in oxygen saturation, persistent pain/pressure in chest and mental confusion persist.