The Manipur government on Saturday issued revised guidelines for home isolation of mild and asymptomatic COVID-19 cases.
The state health department in its revised guidelines issued on Saturday stated that COVID-infected elderly patients aged more than 60 years and those with co-morbid conditions such as diabetes, heart disease, chronic lung/liver/kidney disease; cerebrovascular disease, etc will not be allowed home isolation.
Moreover, patients suffering from hypertension, immune-compromised status (HIV, transplant patients, cancer therapy, etc.) are not recommended for home isolation and will be allowed home isolation after proper evaluaton by the treating medical officer, the health department said.
Asymptomatic cases are laboratory-confirmed cases who are not experiencing any symptoms and have oxygen saturation at room air of more than or equal to 94 per cent, while clinically assigned mild cases are patients with upper respiratory tract symptoms with or without fever, without shortness of breath, and having oxygen saturation at room air of more than 93 per cent.
To be eligible for home isolation, the patient should be clinically assigned as a mild/asymptomatic case by the treating medical officer. Further, a designated control room contact number at the district /sub district level will 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, the health department stated.
While a patient is allowed home isolation, all other members in the family, including other contacts, should follow the home quarantine guidelines.
Patient must isolate himself from other household members, stay in the identified room and away from other people in the home, especially elderly and those with co-morbid conditions like hypertension, cardiovascular disease, renal disease etc.
The health department cautioned that malnourished and children not having regular immunisation are at high risk of getting complications and should not be recommended for home isolation. They should be well monitored at appropriate health facilities, it stated.
