The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare vide its notification dated 5th January 2022 has published a revised guidelines for home isolation of mild and asymptomatic COVID-19 cases.
As per the guidelines, patient should be clinically assigned as mild/ asymptomatic case by the treating Medical Officer. Further a designated control room contact number at the district /sub district level shall be provided to the family to get suitable guidance for undertaking testing, clinical management related guidance, assignment of a hospital bed, if warranted.
Such cases should have the requisite facility at their residence for self-isolation and for quarantining the family contacts.
A caregiver (ideally someone who has completed his COVID-19 vaccination schedule) should be available to provide care on 24 x7 basis. A communication link between the caregiver and a Medical Officer is a prerequisite for the entire duration of home isolation.
Patients suffering from immune compromised status (HIV, Transplant recipients, Cancer therapy etc.) are not recommended for home isolation and shall only be allowed home isolation after proper evaluation by the treating Medical Officer.
Further the Patient under home isolation will stand discharged and end isolation after at least 7 days have passed from testing positive and no fever for 3 successive days and they shall continue wearing masks. There is no need for re-testing after the home isolation period is over.
Asymptomatic contacts of infected individuals need not undergo Covid test & monitor health in home quarantine.
Effective and safe disposal of general wastes such as disposable items, used food packets, fruit peel offs, used water bottles, left-over food, disposable food plates etc. should be ensured. They should be collected in bags securely tied for handing over to waste collectors.
Further, the used masks, gloves and tissues or swabs contaminated with blood / body fluids of COVID-19 patients, including used syringes, medicines, etc., should be treated as biomedical waste and disposed of accordingly by collecting the same in a yellow bag and handed over to waste collector separately so as to prevent further spread of infection within household and the community. Else they can be disposed of by putting them in appropriate deep burial pits which are deep enough to prevent access to rodents or dogs etc.
