Centre issues revised guidelines for home isolation, here's what you need to know

The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare on Wednesday issued revised guidelines for home isolation of mild and asymptomatic COVID-19 patients. The new Health Ministry guidelines specifies the criteria, do's and don'ts and the precautions that need to be followed by such patients and their families.

As per the revised guidelines, the patients under home isolation will stand discharged and end isolation after at least seven days have passed from testing positive and have no fever for three successive days. Furthermore, there is also no need for re-testing after the home isolation period is over.

Union Health Ministry issues revised guidelines for home isolation of mild/asymptomatic COVID-19 patients pic.twitter.com/5OyCGGM2qh — ANI (@ANI) January 5, 2022

What new guidelines say

The home isolation period for mild/asymptomatic COVID-19 patients reduced from 10 to seven days.

The patient should be clinically assigned as mild/asymptomatic case by the treating Medical Officer. 

A designated control room contact number at the district/sub district level shall be provided to the family.

It will provide suitable guidance for undertaking testing, clinical management, assignment of a hospital bed.

Patients will stand discharged and end isolation after at least seven days have passed from testing positive.

Home isolation period will end when the patient has no fever for three successive days after turning negative. 

There is no need for re-testing after the home isolation period is over, the new guideline suggests.

Such cases should have the requisite facility at their residence for self-isolation and for quarantining family contacts.

A caregiver who is fully vaccinated should be available to provide care to the patient on 24X7 basis.

Elderly patients above 60 years shall only be allowed home isolation after proper evaluation by treating medical officer.

The same will be applied for patients with co-morbid conditions like hypertension, diabetes, heart/kidney/lung/liver disease.