Mild cases not up for self-isolation at home

CHANDIGARH: The Chandigarh administration rules based on Union health ministry guidelines allowing Covid-19 positive patients to self-isolate at home has no takers, health officials have said.

According to the ministry’s guidelines, patients with mild or pre-symptomatic cases with adequate facilities at home can selfisolate there whereas earlier rules recommended hospitalisation for mild, moderate and severe cases at dedicated Covid-19 centres.

The lack of response, however, is not surprising considering that the maximum number of cases are being reported from the congested Bapu Dham Colony where home isolation of patients is almost impossible, even though UT authorities had identified a few patients from other areas that could do so.

UT health secretary Arun Kumar Gupta said on Thursday that around five candidates seemed eligible for the new guidelines, “but they have not shown any interest.”

The conditions for isolation of patients include monitoring their health and keeping the district surveillance officer updated on their health status for further follow-up by the surveillance teams.

Patients also have to fulfill an undertaking for self-isolation.

The PGIMER has more than 100 Covid-19 patients and their numbers are increasing quickly, though 80% have mild symptoms.

The UT administration has in the meantime decided to activate two of its Covid care centres: One for high risk contacts from Bapu Dham Colony under institutional quarantine at the Sector 47 Community Centre facility and the other for new mild or asymptomatic cases at the Ayurvedic College in Sector 46.