Delhi's dos and don'ts for COVID-19 patients isolating at home
Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain on Saturday issued a set of guidelines for COVID-19 patients who are under home isolation. Jain shared the details in a post on the Koo platform. The list includes instructions about the use of face masks, ventilation, and sanitation. This comes as the national capital sees a massive surge in its daily coronavirus infections and the Omicron variant cases.
Why does this story matter?
The instructions have been issued amid growing concerns over an exponential rise in COVID-19 cases. The city will likely report around 20,000 new cases and a positivity rate of nearly 19% on Saturday—up from Friday's figure of 17.73%—Health Minister Jain said. In fact, hospital admissions in Delhi have increased from 247 on January 1 to 1,390 on Friday—a 5.6-fold jump in a single week.
What are the guidelines?
Patients must isolate themselves from the other family members living in the house. The patient's room should be well-ventilated and the windows should be kept open. Patients must wear a triple layer medical mask. The mask in use should be discarded after eight hours or earlier if it has been visibly soiled. Further, both the patient and their caregiver should preferably wear N-95 masks.
What are the guidelines?
Patients are also advised to drink plenty of fluids to stay hydrated. They should frequently wash their hands with soap and water or clean them using an alcohol-based sanitizer. The patient or the caregiver should clean frequently touched surfaces and other items in their room. Patients should self-monitor parameters like their blood oxygen saturation levels and temperature.
COVID-19 situation in Delhi and India
Delhi on Friday reported 17,335 fresh coronavirus cases over a 24-hour period, marking a daily spike of 15%. Nine people died due to the disease during the same period. Meanwhile, over 1,41,000 new COVID-19 cases were reported across India over the last 24 hours. The Omicron strain has been detected in 27 states and Maharashtra has the highest number of related infections so far.
