There is no need for everyone to rush to hospitals out of anxiety if you are experiencing Covid-19 like symptoms. Nor is there a need for people to procure Remdesivir injections in the first go. The first and foremost thing you gotta do is analyze your situation, what if it can be treated right from home?

According to The Union Health Ministry, doctors, and medical professionals, mild Covid-19 cases or cases with no symptoms can be handled at home. The infected person must stay in a separate well-ventilated room, take precautions and be in isolation for at least 14 days, away from the rest of the members of the house.

If one doesn’t have any issues after 10 days from the onset of symptoms, the home quarantine shall end. Though a test isn’t required after this period, there is no harm in taking an RT-PCR test right from before declaring everything normal.

Mandates for isolation at home

• A person should only be isolated at home if there is a separate bathroom in the house that can be utilized by the infected or suspected person.
• As mentioned earlier, the room must be well ventilated so that the person can have access to fresh air.

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What if the House Doesn’t Have a Separate Washroom?

It’s obvious that every home may not have separate washrooms and in such a case the infected or suspected member should be shifted to a nearby Covid-19 facility for isolation.

Necessary Instructions for Society and Caretakers

• The health team should post a home isolation notice on the house door.
• The member who is in isolation should have a stamp on their hand for 15-17 days.
• The health team must inform two or three neighbors about the home isolation and request them to help if they need anything.
• There should be no such offensive behavior in society that hurts the member or their family. Instead, people in the society should motivate them and create an environment full of good vibes.
• A surveillance team should regularly monitor if the isolation is being done properly and if violated action can be taken under the disaster management Act.
  
• People of age 60 years and above with additional comorbidities like diabetes, hypertension, liver or kidney diseases should be allowed to isolate at home only after consulting with a doctor.
• All the waste materials should be soaked in 1% sodium hypochlorite solution for 30 minutes before final disposal.
• If the situation seems severe, a team of DSO will confirm the severity and transfer the patient to the nearest hospital by ambulance.
• The medical team of the area must monitor the progress of the individual and their details should be updated on the GOI-COVID-19 portal and related facility/center app.

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Medication at home

While the below-stated ones are standard medicines and steps that one can take during home isolation, it is always better to consult a doctor and check the medical history as some patients can be sensitive to particular drugs.

• Monitor oxygen levels (SPO2) and body temperature regularly at least thrice a day.
• According to the guidelines of the health ministry if the fever does not get treated at home even after maximum Paracetamol dose (500 mg four times a day) then you must stop self-medication and consult a doctor online.
• The patients should do warm-water gargles and perform steam inhalation twice or thrice a day.
• Tab. Ivermectin (12 mg) once for 5 days can be taken on an empty stomach. Strictly not to be consumed by pregnant and lactating women.
• Have lots and lots of fluids to maintain good hydration levels
  

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Stick to Healthy Routine

Taking care of yourself during the isolation period is possible only if you stick to the guidelines and maintain a healthy routine. Take 6 mins walks twice a day and track your oxygen levels both the time. If the difference is more than 4 (eg: if the first reading was 94 and the other was 90) or if you experience any breathing problem, contact the DSO number provided and seek medical assistance. Eat nutritious food for better recovery and if you are not sure what to? Consult our dietitians online on The Wellness Corner app. Many people have successfully recovered at home, so just take a deep breath, take precautions, and wave goodbye to the struggling times.

The biggest challenge then was to find a cure for the deadly coronavirus but the biggest challenge now is to unify people to get vaccinated. Don’t let the sleepless nights of our corona warriors go in vain. If you are eligible, it is best to get yourself vaccinated because there’s nothing more valuable than the life you are blessed with. Save the world from another mass destruction by saving yourself! #IndiaFightsCorona