The Union ministry of health and family welfare on Monday listed the warning signs and symptoms of when a patient who tested positive for coronavirus disease needs to be hospitalised.
The ministry said that a patient in home isolation needs to be hospitalised if their oxygen level is falling or if they are having chest pain.
“Falling oxygen saturation (below 93), excessive fatigue or chest pain are warning signs indicating that a patient in home isolation may need hospitalisation. Thus, such patients should stay in touch with a doctor and high-risk group people having comorbidities also need to take special care,” news agency PTI quoted director of All India Institute of Medical Science (Aiims) Dr Randeep Guleria as explaining.
Dr Guleria’s comments came at a time when many hospitals in the country are tackling a high number of Covid-19 patients and reporting non-availability of ICU and oxygen beds.
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Earlier, on April 28, the Union health ministry released the revised guidelines regarding the home isolation of mild and asymptomatic cases of the coronavirus infection. The ministry had asked the mildly infected patients to confine themselves to self-isolation and to constantly monitor their health and important parameters such as temperature, heart rate, SpO2 per cent and breathing.
{{/usCountry}}Earlier, on April 28, the Union health ministry released the revised guidelines regarding the home isolation of mild and asymptomatic cases of the coronavirus infection. The ministry had asked the mildly infected patients to confine themselves to self-isolation and to constantly monitor their health and important parameters such as temperature, heart rate, SpO2 per cent and breathing.
{{/usCountry}}On Monday, the ministry in a series of tweets explained the varying severity of the disease and the symptoms exhibited for seeking immediate medical attention.
The ministry advised those with mild disease to seek immediate medical attention if difficulty in breathing is experienced or if a high-grade fever or severe cough persists for more than five days. It also asked such patients to stay in contact with physicians treating them for the disease.
Meanwhile, patients with moderate infection having respiratory rate greater than 24 per minute, breathlessness and oxygen saturation level between 90 and 92 per cent have been advised for an admission in a medical ward.
Patients with severe infection having respiratory rate greater than 30 per minute, breathlessness and oxygen saturation level less than 90 per cent have been advised to be admitted in ICU.