Noida: Over 50 rapid response teams formed for screening of Covid patients for home isolation

NOIDA: Following the decision taken by the state government to allow home isolation for asymptomatic Covid-19 patients, the Gautam Budh Nagar district administration

NOIDA: Following the decision taken by the state government to allow home isolation for asymptomatic Covid-19 patients, the Gautam Budh Nagar district administration has over 50 constituted rapid response teams (RRTs) to screen patients in different localities, who have asked for home isolation.

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According to district magistrate Suhas LY, the screening process for this has been started. “The patients will be allowed home isolation only after their thorough check-up has been done by the screening teams, confirming that they are asymptomatic or have only mild symptoms. In case of any doubt, they will be brought to higher observation centres. If they are found having serious symptoms or are suffering from co-morbidities, they will be sent to L-1, L-2 or L-3 facilities as per their conditions. The whole process may take 24 to 48 hours,” he said.

As many as 33 Covid-19 positive asymptotic patients were allowed for home isolation on Thursday, the DM said.

The DM further said that as per guidelines for home isolation of very mild and pre-symptomatic Covid-19 cases, under which a patient can stay at home, they will have to be in touch constantly with the district surveillance officer, and a hospital and will have to sign an undertaking for them.

“They should have the requisite facility at their residence for self-isolation and also for quarantining their family. A caregiver must be available for the patient to provide round-the-clock care. There must be a continuous communication between the caregiver and the hospital for the entire duration of their home isolation. The caregiver and all close contacts of such cases should take hydroxychloroquine prophylaxis as per protocol and as prescribed by the treating medical officer. Any difficulty in breathing, persistent chest pain or developing bluish discolorations of lips or face must be reported immediately to the treating medical officers,” he said.

Speaking on the time span of home isolation, the DM said that patients under home isolation can end home isolation if their symptoms are clinically resolved and the surveillance medical officer certifies them to be free of infection after proper lab testing.

Health officials said that the patient permitted home isolation will have to bear the complete cost of medical kits themselves. A doctor working with a district hospital said on condition of anonymity that a complete kit costs around Rs 10,000. “A good quality pulse oximeter itself costs around Rs 6,000 in the market,” he said.

The district’s chief medical officer Dr Deepak Ohri said that the patients will have to buy medical kits equipped with a pulse oximeter, thermometer, mask, gloves and other necessary items for themselves. “Our team of experts will check the quality of all these items purchased,” he said.