Guidelines issued for home-based care for low-risk COVID patients

The Health Ministry has issued guidelines on providing home-based care for asymptomatic or mildly symptomatic patients.

According to guidelines, the area MOH is responsible for triaging the virus-infected individuals who need home-based care and institutional health care.

The patients eligible for home-based care;

– Should be aged between 02 – 65 years

– Should be isolated in a separate room with sanitary facilities and adequate ventilation allocated for them

– Should not have uncontrolled comorbidities such as morbid obesity (BMI>30), diabetes, hypertension, chronic       heart/lung/renal diseases or other medical conditions

– Should not be suffering from immunocompromised status or not on long-term immunosuppressive therapy

– Should have adequate self-care or caregiver support at home

– Should have proper communication facilities and the ability to communicate (patient or caregiver)

– Should have given informed consent

– *in the case of a pregnant woman, the gestational period should be less than 24 weeks.

Further, the home-quarantined patient can be discharged on the 14th day of illness. If symptoms persist, the patient will be monitored until the symptoms resolve.