In home isolation? Make use of health checkup packages

Coimbatore: There were 3,085 Covid-19 patients, who were either asymptomatic or mildly symptomatic and unlikely to get worse, in home isolation in the district as on Friday night.
In the wake of a growing number of people without comorbidities developing breathlessness even after a week of mild symptoms, hospitals and organizations are coming up with home isolation kits.
PSG Hospitals is one among them. It has launched Covid Sanjaya, a home care assistance priced at Rs 7,000. Vinod, its coordinator, said, “We offer patients a daily teleconsultation session with a doctor to discuss their symptoms and medications. We also have a nurse on call facility round the clock to get their doubts cleared.” According to him, 15 people have registered for the service since Wednesday, when it was launched. The hospital also assures ambulance service and admission, if required. Thermometer and pulse oximeter would, however, cost extra.
In another initiative, a group of five doctors have come together to offer Kovai Home isolation care. The package, which is priced at Rs 3,500, comprises a video call consultation with a doctor, phone calls with a doctor for five days and a kit of triple layer masks, monitoring sheet, thermometer, pulse oximeter, sanitizer and medicines.
Dr Karthik Chandrashekhar, one of the team members, said, “We are talking to laboratories to take blood tests of patients three days after they tested positive for the virus and scan centres to do a lung CT for patients, who we think require it.” More than 10 people have signed up for the service so far.
City-based Inhouse Medical Care is also in touch with the health department to launch its own Covid care package.
Health officials and private hospital doctors suggest opting for a system where patients are monitored by a doctor through the isolation period. “We recommend home isolation rather than Covid care centres, if people have a separate room or house,” said Dr G Ramesh Kumar, deputy director of public health.
Dr A Raja, health officer with the city corporation, said it was advisable for those in home quarantine to be monitored by doctors. “It will ensure that they don’t become victims of late hospitalization and develop other complications by then.”
Another official said early detection of drop in oxygen saturation level to below 95% was always better than rushing for hospitalization when the same plunges to 70% or 60%.