Delhi Government mandates 7 days of home isolation for asymptomatic patients; issues home isolation guidelines

NEW DELHI: Delhi government has instructed that asymptomatic corona positive patients and patients with mild symptoms can home isolate themselves for 17 days. The government has also released a video detailing how can they treated and be in touch with health workers through phone calls and a mobile app.

Informing the people about the decision, the Delhi Government released a video on their YouTube channel. “More than 80 per cent of people suffering from Corona are either asymptomatic or suffer from mild symptoms. Such people do not need to get admitted to the hospital and can take care of themselves at home,” Kejriwal said. The 14-minute video highlights what precautions those who are quarantined should take.

Following are the important takeaways from the video:

• A separate well-ventilated room and a separate toilet must be used by the infected persons. If such a facility is not available, kindly contact authorities so that arrangements can be made in a Cover care centre for the patient.
• A caregiver must be available for the patient. The age of caregiver should be less than 50 years.
• People over the age of 55, pregnant women and people with severe non-communicable diseases must be shifted from the house in which the infected is quarantined.
• Wear a triple-layered medical mask at all times and gloves.  Replace the equipment after 8 hours of use. Disinfect it with 1 per cent Sodium Hydrochloride disinfectant. Mix 7 grams of bleach with 2.5 litres of water to make the solution at home. This solution can be used to clean any non-metallic surface. Clean metallic surfaces with alcohol-based sanitisers. Your room must be regularly sanitised.
• Wash hands for at least 40 seconds.
• Use separate personal items.
• Avoid alcohols and smoking and eat healthy low carbohydrate, high protein meals.

Since the detection of asymptomatic patients is an issue, Delhi Government has made it mandatory for all the people arriving in the city via trains and airports to home quarantine for at least a week. The decision was taken to initiate aggressive COVID-19 management, according to Arvind Kejriwal, Chief Minister, Delhi Government. Earlier, the government had ‘advised’ people who had reach back to the city to self-quarantine, which has now been partially modified as the national capital has witnessed a spurt in the cases since May 28.

Moreover, the Chief Minister has said that chances are likely that the government is likely to further relax lockdown norms from this.