COVID-19 patients opting for isolation at home on the rise in Ernakulam

Option given only to asymptomatic people without co-morbidities

Along with the rise in COVID-19 cases, the number of asymptomatic patients choosing to remain in isolation at home has been climbing in about three weeks since patients in the district were given the option. About 1,035 people out of the 3,133 total active cases in the district are currently in isolation at home.

Only asymptomatic people without any co-morbidities are given the option of remaining at home. With an increase in the number of people taking the option, pressure on first-line treatment centres (FLTCs) could be reduced, said District Medical Officer N.K. Kuttappan. There are 13 FLTCs currently functioning in the district. If several more are required to begin operations with positive cases steadily increasing, deploying sufficient staff could be difficult, he added.

Besides, at home, people who tested positive could remain in familiar surroundings and know that their families were close by, which would be a relief psychologically, he said. “The number of people opting to stay at home has nearly doubled compared to the figure earlier this month, which was less than 500,” he added.

COVID-19 patients are required to sign an undertaking that says that they will follow necessary protocol. They are also required to have rooms to themselves and the elderly living in the same house are to be protected. The rapid response teams constituted in each ward with ASHA workers and local body officials monitor them, and if required, the district administration’s telemedicine unit, working with about 20 doctors, is available for consultation round-the-clock.

The idea was to keep asymptomatic people isolated at home, mildly symptomatic people at FLTCs and critically ill patients at hospitals, said Mathews Numpeli, district programme manager, National Health Mission. “About 58% of the active cases in the district are currently asymptomatic. For asymptomatic people remaining at home, consistent monitoring for symptoms is key. The doctor at the nearest primary health centre will keep a case sheet of the patient,” he said. If they show symptoms, they will have to be shifted to a care facility.

Recently, when members of a family in Eloor, including a child, tested positive, they chose to remain at home. In such situations being able to remain at home has been a relief to families, according to a health official from the area. They were being monitored twice daily via phone or video calls by doctors at the district’s telemedicine facility, said the official.