Hindustan Times (Noida)

To protect families, people move into private isolation facilities

- Ashni Dhaor ashni.dhaor@hindustant­imes.com

For 33-year-old Vikram Singh, isolating after testing positive for Covid-19 in a twobedroom flat with three other family members was proving to be tough.

“In the second week of April, a colleague tested positive for Covid-19. Following this, all those who came in contact were asked to isolate. I also got myself tested. On Sunday, my report came back positive and I also developed a fever. Doctors asked me to isolate myself,” he said.

The Sector 62 resident, who works at a private firm in the same sector, lives with his elderly parents and wife at Nirvana Apartments.

That was when Singh heard of a private isolation facility in Sector 58. “A room with an attached washroom, along with lunch and dinner, was available for ₹2,500 a day. Considerin­g

the safety of my wife and parents, I opted for it and moved there for a week,” he said.

The facility has been started in Noida by Your Space, a PG accommodat­ion provider.

With PG accommodat­ions rendered empty by the pandemic, the rooms have been

converted into an isolation facility.

“The home isolation facility is for asymptomat­ic to mild patients of Covid-19. We currently have a facility in Sector 58 which has 90 rooms and another one is coming up in Sector 62. Currently, 25 Covid-19 patients are using the facility in Noida,” said Venayak Gupta, head of growth, Your Space.

Your Space is also running a home isolation facility with 35 rooms at Malviya Nagar in South Delhi, Gupta said.

Meanwhile, at-home services such as antibody tests are also gaining popularity among senior citizens. A private firm, Antara Assisted Care Services, is providing antibody tests and even X-rays at home for seniors in Delhi-ncr. With the recent wave of Covid-19, chest X-rays are done in order to be informed about any changes in lungs that may remain hidden from the patient in case of a false Covid test result.

“The X-ray facility at home is available at a price of ₹2,500. Seniors no longer need to stand in long queues or change clothes before the test which allows for a hassle-free experience along with a minimized risk of infection,” said Vaibhav Poddar, the company CEO.

 ?? HT ARCHIVE ?? For some Covid patients , isolating at home with elderly and other at-risk family members may not be an option.
HT ARCHIVE For some Covid patients , isolating at home with elderly and other at-risk family members may not be an option.

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