Assam govt issues COVID-19 guidelines on ‘Home Isolation’ for patients & care givers

Sept. 17: Amidst the rising cases of coronavirus & increasing fatality in the state, the National Health Mission (NHM) Assam has now come up with a set of guidelines on Home Isolation for Covid-19 patients and care givers. The guidelines issued on Thursday by NHM, Assam specified that, “COVID-19 patients opting for Home Isolation, MUST follow all the laid down protocols strictly ! Late reporting of symptoms have landed many in trouble.”

It was advised by the NHM, Assam that, “If you do not want to land up in the ICU, then follow home isolation protocols strictly. Home isolation is actually meant for asymptomatic COVID-19 patients or for people with mild symptoms. You should opt for home isolation only after proper medical advice. While in home isolation, please strictly monitor your body temperature and oxygen saturation level frequently.”

Further, the guidelines specified that the patients should report immediately, if oxygen saturation level falls below 95 percent or they develop one or more of the following symptoms:

• Dry cough and fever
• Trouble breathing or shortness of breathing
• Diarrhoea
• Persistent pain or pressure in the chest
• Loss of speech and movement
• Lips or face turning blue
• Mental confusion and inability to awake from sleep

It was also stated that late reporting of alarming symptoms by home isolation patients might lead to serious complications and may even cause death.

#Choose Home Isolation RESPONSIBLY! #Covid19 patients opting for Home Isolation, MUST follow all the laid down PROTOCOLS STRICTLY! Late reporting of symptoms have landed many in trouble. #HomeIsolation pic.twitter.com/wm3DJguBXT

— NHM_Assam (@nhm_assam) September 17, 2020

Apart from this, those patients who have opted for home isolation were advised to follow the following instructions:

• Use triple layer mask all the time
• Stay in a completely separate well-ventilated room
• Stay away from other people especially elderly and people with co-morbidit
• Strictly follow physician’s instructions and medication advice
• Self-monitor his/her health, if any symptom develops, report immediately.

For the care-givers, NHM, Assam specified the following advisory:

• Wear a triple layer mask when in the same room with the patient Provide food to the patient in their room
• Wash hands properly with soap and water after handling the patient
• Avoid direct contact with body fluids of the patient
• Clean and disinfect frequently touched surfaces daily
• Make sure that the patient follows the prescribed treatment