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Home quarantine for asymptomatic positives in Pune: Tales from behind the locked doors
Sixty per cent of the positive cases are asymptomatic and that number is on the rise, says Dr Ravindra Chhajed, consulting physician and intensivist at Harsh Hospital, Bibwewadi, and consultant at Ruby Hall Clinic, and Inamdar hospital in the city
The Pune district administration has all but issued an order that asymptomatic Covid -19 positive cases are not to be admitted to hospitals, and are to be confined to home quarantines instead.
“Sixty per cent of the positive cases are asymptomatic and that number is on the rise,” said Dr Ravindra Chhajed, consulting physician and intensivist at Harsh Hospital, Bibwewadi, and consultant at Ruby Hall Clinic, and Inamdar hospital in the city.
At present he knows of 15 Covid patients in home isolation.
He follows up on his patients daily through a video consultancy, along with the patients updating him via WhatsApp on the daily report of their health.
“I have prescribed medicines depending on their mild symptoms. I have also asked them to buy the kits from hospitals to check their oxygen levels and temperatures while at home,” said Dr Chhajed.
A teacher in Bibwewadi, tested positive, but had no symptoms. She now lives alone in her apartment but has her son-in-law, who is a doctor, taking care of her.
“I live alone and initially was wondering how I got it. I was also surprised to see many patients waiting to be tested at the centre, but the doctors ease the fears. My society members were also informed as well the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) medical officer, who calls to check twice a week. My daughter lives in the next building and she is taking care of my diet and all the other necessary things that I might need. We talk via video calling and that uplifts my mood,” she said.
In Balewadi, a 30-year-old man came in contact with the virus through an office colleague in a manufacturing unit.
“I live with my wife in a two--bedroom house, so I have self-isolated in one of the bedrooms. My wife prepares food and leaves it near the door. She is also being helped with essentials by the society members who were informed of my condition. Even doctors at the Sahyadri Hospital as well as PMC medical officers have been very kind and helpful. I was provided a kit which includes an oxymeter, thermometer, sanitiser and mask by the hospital. Once a day, a nursing care manager who has been allotted my case calls to monitor my daily records. I usually end up reading books or watching TV series, and sleep as much as I can,” said the patient.
It is not just common citizens, but doctors also who are testing positive. This doctor believes he got it from an OPD patient.
“For him it began with severe lassitude and fatigue. There was no fever or cough the first 10 days, but he suspected Covid and isolated himself in one room in the house from day one. He was in constant touch with the hospital Covid team, who told him to treat this as Covid and self-isolate,” said his wife, who also tested positive.
The couple live above a nursing home which the husband runs.
“We are now quite fine except for mild weakness. I still have a poor appetite and anosmia, but that will reduce with time. We have been extremely careful with disinfection protocols. My staff has to wear N95 masks and gloves if they come upstairs to the door (no one is allowed in yet). We communicate via the intercom or cell phones,” says the wife, adding, “The most difficult thing was staying cheerful and upbeat on calls with family members. We literally had an army of friends and family members for ancillary support, yet the entire experience was intensely lonely.”
