Coronavirus: As India Allows Home Isolation, A Look At What Other Countries Are Doing

Most of the government's guidelines are in tandem with WHO recommendations.(Representational)

The Union Health Ministry today issued fresh guidelines on home isolation for COVID-19 patients with very mild symptoms of the infection. Those under home isolation will have to be in touch with the district surveillance officer and a hospital, as well as sign an undertaking, according to the guidelines.

At present, all those who test positive for the virus are isolated and managed in hospitals or temporary medical facilities.

The World Health Organisation's (WHO) guidelines for home isolation cite that hospitalization may not be required or possible for every mild case because of the burden it imposes on the healthcare system.

The WHO guidelines add that patients with mild symptoms and without underlying chronic conditions - such as lung or heart disease, renal failure, or immunocompromising conditions that place the patient at increased risk of developing complications - can be cared for at home. Careful clinical assessment of the infected patient's home should be done by trained healthcare workers to verify whether the residence is suitable for providing care, according to the guideline.

While most of the guidelines of the government are in tandem with what the WHO recommends, there is no mention of how the assessment of the residence would be done and by whom.

Other countries, which have achieved relative success in tackling coronavirus, the policies on this issue differ.

In South Korea, the patients are required to download an app which alerts officials in case the patient leaves their home. The patient can be fined up to $2,500 for the breach.

In Japan, the home isolation policy was initially adopted, but thereafter changed to hotel isolation for mild cases after two men, who were self-isolating at home, died after their health conditions took a turn for the worst.

Singapore doesn't allow patients with mild COVID-19 symptoms to self-isolate at home to prevent family members from catching the disease.

Experts in India, however, are in support of the government's move.

Dr Avi Kumar, Consultant, Pulmonologist, Fortis Escort Heart Institute said, "It is a step in the right direction. Seeing the number of pre-symptomatic or asymptomatic patients on the rise, it is a very sensible approach because most of the mild or asymptomatic patients require supportive treatment only. This can easily be provided at home. Moreover, according to these new guidelines the monitoring is being done by medical officers as well as the district surveillance officer which ensures no compromise in managing the patients. It will help us in conserving medical infrastructure that is involved in the care of the patients."

"As far as the question of whether the patients will abide by it is concerned, I believe that they would, because the patients would be made to sign an undertaking by the government which says that they would be subjected to legal action against them if they violate the rules," he said.