New guidelines for home isolation in Delhi

See the new rules for home isolation in Delhi. Here is what you should know.

The Directorate General of Health Services of the Delhi government has decided to change its standard of operating (SOP) for COVID-19 patients. It is now mandatory for mild and asymptomatic cases that have been tested positive through RT-PCR tests to report to a COVID-19 care center and stay there till a team of district surveillance officer (DSO) verifies that the patient is fit for home isolation. 

Source- Business Today

If a patient is tested through the new rapid test for COVID-19 antigen then based on the severity of the illness, the team of DSO will decide if a person is fit for home isolation and will visit their home to check the isolation facility. 

This new standard of operating is now based on the method of testing, RT-PCR, or Rapid test. The patient tested through a Rapid test will also be given a pulse oximeter to keep a check on their oxygen saturation in the blood. The officer in charge will explain how the gadget is used for monitoring. 

Source- The New York Times

The patients who have been isolated at home will be free from the treatment after 10 days and as a follow-up process, they will be called by a team of outsourced medical professionals for 9 days (during isolation) to record their oxygen level, urine output, and temperature. 

The patients who are isolated at home will also be provided with a contact number for consultation and details for an ambulance. If the house of the affected person is not found to be fit for home isolation then he/she will be admitted to a COVID care facility.