New Delhi: Home isolation is advised for patients who are found to be positive with novel corona virus and with mild symptoms or asymptomatic cases as assigned by the treating doctor. Such patients must have the required facility at their homes for self isolation as well as for quaranting the family members who have come in contact. Patients who are suffering from cancer, HIV, transplant receipents are not eligible for home isolation.
Elderly patients who are suffering from debilitating diseases & pregnant females are isolated with caution. Patients who are on medication for hypertension, diabetes,thyroid, cardiac illness must continue taking their medications on regular basis & should keep their levels in check.
Instructions for the patient
1. The patient should be able to monitor his health and regularly inform his heatlh status to District Surveillance
officer who will facilitate further follow up.
2. Patient must strictly follow the doctor’s instructions & medications advised. NO medication should be taken
without consultation.
3. Everyone should keep a pulse oximeter at home to check blood oxygen levels on a regular basis. It should be
checked after 6 min walk.
4. Patient should at all time use triple layer medical mask which should be discarded after 8 hours of use or earlier.
5. Patient must stay in the identified room & away from other people in the house. He should use a separate
washroom.
6. Patient must take adequate rest & stay well hydrated.One should prefer drinking lukewarm water.
7. Hands must be washed often with soap & water atleast for 20 sec or cleaned with alcohol based sanitizer.
8. Clean the surfaces in the room that are touched often with 1% sodium hypochlorite solution.
9. The patient should take steam atleast 2 times a day.
10. The patient’s waste should be treated as biomedical waste & to be discarded accordingly.
11. Patient should meditate, do simple yoga postures, stretching exercises, walking indoors
stay positive, listening music, reading, must be in contact with his family &
friends for physical psychologial well being.
12. Special attention must be given to children during the stressful time by engaging them in recreational activities
like solving puzzles, playing board games, reading etc to help reduce boredom & anxiety.
What to Eat
1. Fruits, vegetables, legumes(lentils, beans), nuts(almonds, walnut), whole grains, flax seeds, food from
animal sources like chicken, fish, egg, milk which are rich in protein must be included in the diet.
2. Increase food with probiotics eg curd
3. Increase hydration particularly when fever or gastrointestinal upset occurs.
4. Vitamin C rich dietary products like lemon, oranges, amla, brocolli etc
5. Home made kadhas & giloy but excess intake should be avoided as it causes bad effect on liver.
What to avoid
Saturated fats, sugar-rich foods, processed foods & extreme dietary fads like keto diet, intermittent fasting, religious
fasting etc.
When to seek medical attention
Immediate medical attention must be sought if serious signs or symptoms develop
which includes; difficulty in breathing, drop in blood oxygen levels (<94%), persistent pain or pressure in the chest or
mental confusion.
When to discontinue home isolation
Patients under home isolation will stand discharged after 10 days of symptom onset & no fever for 3 days. Thereafter
the patient will be advised to isolate at home & self-monitor their health for further 7 days. There is no need for
testing after the home isolation period is over as per the revised government guidelines.
Dr Sumit Dubey
Head – International Inoculation Centre & Registrar (B&D)
NDMC
