State govt permits home isolation for select Covid 19 patients

Bengaluru: Covid-19 patients who are asymptomatic or mildly symptomatic shall be allowed to be isolate themselves at home, a health official said on Friday.

Prior to allowing home isolation, a team of health officials will visit the patient’s house and assess its suitability for executing home isolation. The patient will be allowed to recuperate at home only with the knowledge of the family members, neighbours, treating physician and local health authorities,” said the official.

For a daily update, the patient isolated at home should give a report on his health status to the physician or health authorities.

Though home isolation is allowed, it is not a blanket permission for all asymptomatic and mildly symptomatic cases in Karnataka to avail.

“Such cases should have the requisite facility at their residence for self-isolation and also for quarantining the family contacts. A care giver should be available to provide care on 24×7 basis,” said the official.

Likewise, the caregiver should also have a regular communication link between him and the hospital during the home isolation.

No patient above 50 years will be allowed to avail home isolation.

“If the patient has the following comorbidities: hypertension, diabetes, obesity, thyroid disease, they shall be well managed and under good clinical control as assessed by medical officer,” he said.

However, patients with comorbidities such as kidney diseases, dialysis, heart diseases, stroke, tuberculosis, cancer and HIV cannot avail home isolation.

Likewise, immunity compromised patients and those on steroids also cannot be on home isolation.

Though pregnant women are not allowed to avail this facility, lactating women are allowed after due instruction and assessment.

The Health Department has also issued several other guidelines and protocols for a patient choosing home isolation.