PUNE: Nearly 80% of the total 42,650 active Covid-19 patients in the Pune Metropolitan Region (PMR) are in
home isolation, up from 64% about a week ago. This is because a majority of people testing positive are showing mild to moderate symptoms, which does not require hospital stay.
Among the PMR constituents, areas coming under the
Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) had 21,438 (88%) of its total 24,440 active cases staying in home care till Tuesday. Similarly, of the 11,922 active patients in the Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) limits, 9,942 (83%) were in home quarantine. In the rural and cantonment areas, 2,507 (40%) patients were in home isolation as against 3,781 in hospitals, making it the only exception to the trend.
Data shows that in September last year, only 40% of the PMR’s over 40,000 active cases were in home isolation.
An official from the PMC’s health department said, “We are observing more patients preferring home isolation even as the cases are increasing every day. Patients in home isolation are showing mild symptoms. We expect them to complete their quarantine period diligently.”
Ayush Prasad, chief executive officer of the Pune Zilla Parishad, said, “A strategy has been adopted to get patients admitted in Covid care centres and district health centres, which will help us manage them better.”
Sources from the health sector said doctors and hospitals had started home isolation consultations. “These patients hardly require hospitalization during the quarantine period. Doctors guide them on what measures they are expected to follow and the parameters they should follow,” a health official said.