Home Isolation Protocol

Once a patient has been tested positive for COVID-19, a medical officer from the District administration may ask them to follow Home Isolation, if the circumstances of the home are suitable. The health team under the supervision of the medical officer will visit the house with appropriate PPE, stamp the left hand of the patient, and get a certificate signed. They will take a photo of the certificate as a record and place a sticker of home isolation for the affected persons outside the residence.

A COVID positive person might be asked to isolate at home if –

  • The person is clinically assigned as a very mild case/pre-symptomatic case by the treating medical officer of a nearby public health facility.
  • Such cases have the requisite facility at their residence for self-isolation and also for quarantining the family contacts (a medical team will do the assessment of the suitability of the requisite facility for home isolation of COVID-19 patients)
  • A caregiver is available to provide care on a 24X7 basis (a communication link between the caregiver and hospital is a prerequisite for the entire duration of home isolation). The caregiver and all close contacts of such cases should take Hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) prophylaxis as per protocol and as prescribed by the treating Medical Officer

Procedure for the patient –

  • The patient shall agree to monitor his/her health and regularly inform health status to the District Surveillance Officer for further follow up by the Surveillance teams.
  • The patient will fill in an undertaking on self-isolation and the same will be preserved in official records in softcopy and shall follow home quarantine guidelines. Such individuals shall be eligible for home isolation.
  • The date of release is to be 16 days from the date of sample taking. If the two subsequent samples tested are not negative then home isolation will be extended as per prevailing guidelines,

To download the complete guidelines of the Delhi Government for Home Isolation, click here.

Monitoring of HCQ to Care Giver

i. Asymptomatic household contacts of laboratory-confirmed cases (as mentioned at B-V): 400 mg twice a day on day 1 followed by 400 mg once weekly for the next 3 weeks to be taken with meals.

ii. The drug is not recommended for prophylaxis in children under 15 years of age

iii. The drug is contraindicated in persons with a known case of retinopathy, known hypersensitivity to hydroxychloroquine, 4 aminoquinoline compounds, and patients with cardiovascular disease on drugs causing QT prolongation.

iv. The drug has to be given only on the prescription of a registered medical practitioner.

V. Consult with a physician for any adverse event or potential drug interactions before initiation of medication.

vi. The prophylactic use of Hydroxychloroquine to be coupled with the pharmacovigilance for adverse drug reactions through self-reporting using the pharmacovigilance program of India (PvPI) helpline app.

vii. If anyone becomes symptomatic, while on prophylaxis he/she should immediately inform the Incharge of a respective health facility or 24×7 call center, get tested as per national guidelines, and follow the standard treatment protocol.

viii. All asymptomatic contacts of laboratory-confirmed cases should remain in home Quarantine as per the national guidelines, even if they are on prophylactic therapy.

Daily reporting of patient and his/her care giver’s medical condition
The surveillance team or team authorized by the DSO will actively monitor the medical condition of the patient and caregiver telephonically or any other mode which DSO thinks deemed fit.

When to Seek Medical Attention
The caregiver will keep monitoring their health. Immediate medical attention must be sought if serious signs or symptoms develop. These could include:

i. Difficulty in breathing,
ii. Persistent pain/pressure in the chest,
Iii. Mental confusion or inability to arouse,
iv. Developing bluish discolorations of lips/face and
v. As advised by treating Medical Officer or DSO

Note: For medical attention, please contact the respective District Surveillance Officer. Phone number: 22391014, 2301028, 22302441, 22307133, 22304568, 22307745, 22307135, 22307145, 22300012 and 22300036

When to Discontinue Home Isolation
Patients under home isolation will end home isolation if symptoms are clinically resolved and the Surveillance Medical Officer certified him/her free of infection after laboratory testing as prescribed.

Action Afterward of Home Isolation
The patient and his/her caregiver will be followed up for 14 days after their lab sample comes out negative. And they will under no circumstances attend any social/religious gatherings.

Passive Surveillance
Passive surveillance will continue in and around the area of positive COVID-19 patients as described in the Cluster Containment Plan. DSO should facilitate the reporting of flu-like symptoms from all the private health facilities of the area.