On Tuesday, officials from the Tamil Nadu state government issued an order stating that individuals with very mild symptoms or pre-symptomatic persons of coronavirus disease will have the option of home quarantining themselves.
The GO stated that individuals will be clinically assigned as very mild/mild, moderate or severe for this purpose and treated accordingly. It also noted that for home isolation, the individual displaying mild symptoms or if pre-symptomatic will have to have access to a well-ventilated room preferable with attached or separate toilet to have the option of home isolation.
"As per existing guidelines, during the containment phase, the patients should be clinically assigned as very mild/mild, moderate, or severe and accordingly treated in health facilities. However, very mild/ pre-symptomatic patients having the requisite facility at his/her residence for self-isolation will have the option for home isolation,” reads the order issued by the state government.
In order to be eligible for home isolation, a medical officer must ascertain that an individual is showing no symptoms or has extremely mild symptoms (such as a sore throat and cold but no fever). It is preferred that they have their own room, ideally with a separate toilet facility that they can use during the isolation period. A caregiver must be available at home 24x7, who will be able to act as the point of contact between the hospital and the individual during the entire home isolation period. Caregivers will be started on Hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) as a precaution, as prescribed by the doctor. Both patients and caregivers must be given zinc, vitamin C and multivitamin supplements in addition to Nilavembu kudineer and Kabasura kudineer for a period of 10 days.
The government’s order comes a day after the state reported over 500 new cases on Monday. On Tuesday too, this number remained well over 500. Officials say though the state has enough beds and facilities, this is being done to prevent an influx of patients to hospitals.
“All individuals who are brought to the hospital with suspected COVID-19 symptoms will undergo triaging in the emergency department. Doctors who are overseeing the COVID-19 patients will examine them and those who are eligible for isolation at home will be able to do so,” states Dr Jayanthi, the dean of Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital in Chennai, to TNM.
“People who are currently admitted to the hospital and fall under the category of asymptomatic or presymptomatic and are eligible to be under home isolation can request doctors at the hospital for the same. If the doctors examine them and deem them to be eligible to remain in isolation at their homes, they can then be sent home with the needful instructions and care,” she adds.
It is important to note that several countries, including parts of the US, have adopted policies wherein mild/pre-symptomatic individuals have been advised to isolate themselves at home instead of presenting to hospitals for treatment. Should an individual under home isolation develop fever or their symptoms worsen, the hospital must be informed at once and they may require care at the hospital.