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This is an archive article published on January 25, 2022
Interview of the week: ‘Special care given to elderly, comorbid Covid-19 patients in home isolation’
🔴 Cheshta Yadav, district magistrate, North West, talks about the process being followed by the administration for home isolation of Covid patients and the challenges that come with it.
Cheshta Yadav, district magistrate, North West.
With hospitalisations due to Covid-19 remaining low during the third wave – only about 15 per cent of the 15,000 hospital beds set aside for Covid patients in different hospitals across the Delhi are occupied – the disease is largely being treated at home. While symptoms in a majority of patients are mild or moderate, they require regular monitoring and care. Cheshta Yadav, district magistrate, North West, tells Gayathri Mani about the process and the challenges of home isolation.
What is the process being followed for home isolation? When must one be admitted to the hospital?
Home isolation is a two-step process. First, we collect and compile the list of Covid patients, their details, contact number and address. The team then submits the list to the surveillance hub situated at the office of the district magistrate which calls the patients and provides tele-counselling under the supervision of doctors.
We also segregate the list of patients based on their area and nearby health facilities. A home isolation team visits homes to provide pulse oximeters and medicines as per their requirements.
Secondly, special care is provided to elderly patients and those with comorbidities. The team advises such patients to get a fitness test done and if anyone is found having difficulty in breathing, chest pain, low oxygen saturation (below 94) or temperature greater than 100 degrees Fahrenheit, they are immediately shifted to a hospital through an ambulance/cab facility.
How many patients have been referred to hospitals after home isolation?
In my district, from April 1, 2021 to date, around 51,992 patients were allowed to get treatment under home isolation, of which 507 were shifted to hospitals.
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What are the most common symptoms seen in this wave?
Young patients with no disease are mostly found asymptomatic. While, others including the elderly and patients with comorbid conditions experience low-grade fever, cold and cough.
What are the biggest challenges being faced by teams monitoring patients at home?
Monitoring patients under home isolation is a tough task. Different challenges come with different sets of people. Some patients hesitate to share details like phone number and address due to social pressure and fear of ostracisation. Many patients we attend or meet don’t accept that they tested positive. They get aggressive and don’t cooperate with the home isolation team. Many educated patients, who live in posh colonies, follow up with their private doctors and refuse to cooperate with the home isolation teams.
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Despite facing these challenges, our teams work hard and try to convince the patients to cooperate and get treatment by our medical team.
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