Home isolation for mild COVID-19 cases now 7 days, says new protocol issued by Centre

According to the revised protocols released by the Health Ministry on Wednesday, the provision of self-quarantine for three days has been removed from the home isolation guidelines, slashing the discharge period to seven days now.

The updated guidelines allow the isolation period to be over after seven days from the day one tests positive if there is no fever on the 5th, 6th and 7th days.

Earlier, the discharge from home isolation was 10 days from testing positive with mandatory self-quarantine on the 8th, 9th and 10th days.

There is no need for re-testing after home isolation period is over, the Ministry stated.

Besides, the Centre has allowed home isolation of patients aged above 60 and those suffering an immuno-compromised state (HIV, cancer, transplant) only after a proper evaluation by the treating medical officer, the updated norms say.

Over the last two years, it has been seen globally as well as in India that a majority of cases of Covid-19 are either asymptomatic or have very mild symptoms.

Such cases usually recover with minimal interventions and accordingly may be managed at home under proper medical guidance and monitoring, the Ministry said.

According to the new protocols, asymptomatic cases are laboratory confirmed cases that are not experiencing any symptoms and have oxygen saturation at room air of more than 93 per cent.

"Clinically assigned mild cases are patients with upper respiratory tract symptoms with or without fever, without shortness of breath and having oxygen saturation at room air of more than 93 per cent," it said.