GUWAHATI: The Assam health department has asked district authorities to encourage Covid-19 patients to stay in home isolation in the third wave. As Omicron may propel the number of positive cases within weeks, officials in the health department said home isolation will be encouraged this time unlike the previous two waves.
Though the severity of the disease has been moderate in the third wave so far and only one fatality was reported on Sunday, the positivity rate spiralled to 6.48% from 3.73% on Saturday. In Kamrup (Metro), the positivity rate almost doubled to 11.01% on Sunday from 6.47% on Saturday. On Sunday, daily cases stood at 988 from 15,238 tests. However, Kamrup (Metro) that covers Guwahati, detected 490 or about 50% of the total cases reported on Sunday.
“The general guideline is that we will have to allow home isolation in a very well-controlled and positive manner. It will not be a restrictive one but a facilitative one this time,” National Health Mission, Assam, director Dr Lakshmanan S told TOI here on Sunday. “Lots of patients are already in home isolation. District-level coordination or reporting on time is going to be the key. The strategy is to keep the hospital beds for serious patients,” he added.
While in the previous two waves, all positive patients were encouraged to get admitted in Covid care centres or hospitals, whenever required, the faster spread of Omicron and rapid rise in daily cases has compelled the health department to rethink its policy.
Under 19 police stations in Kamrup (Metro), as many teams have been constituted to take stock of patients in home isolation. Till Sunday, there were 1,690 active cases in Kamrup (Metro). Of these, 1,292 patients (76%) are in home isolation, while 398 are in hospitals and the Sarusajai Covid care centre. Sources said considering the rise in the number of cases in greater Guwahati, the second Covid care centre in the city will be reactivated soon.
State health minister Keshab Mahanta recently told the media that under the Gauhati Medical College and Hospital managed units, 1,503 beds were ready. However, considering the spiralling caseload in Kamrup (Metro), where over 2,500 cases have been detected in the last 10 days, a crisis of hospital beds is imminent, if the number of symptomatic patients go up.
“Districts with bigger district headquarters towns are showing higher caseload, as expected. These include Kamrup, Jorhat, Cachar, Dibrugarh, Tinsukia and Sonitpur. The riverine island district of Majuli had reported only two Covid cases in the last 10 days till Sunday,” a health department official said.
The state health department, in its SOP issued late on Saturday evening, stated that patients under home isolation will stand discharged and end isolation after at least seven days from testing positive, if there has been no fever for three successive days and they shall continue wearing masks. However, they will continue to be under home quarantine for seven more days. “There is no need for re-testing after the home isolation period is over,” it clarified.
Though the severity of the disease has been moderate in the third wave so far and only one fatality was reported on Sunday, the positivity rate spiralled to 6.48% from 3.73% on Saturday. In Kamrup (Metro), the positivity rate almost doubled to 11.01% on Sunday from 6.47% on Saturday. On Sunday, daily cases stood at 988 from 15,238 tests. However, Kamrup (Metro) that covers Guwahati, detected 490 or about 50% of the total cases reported on Sunday.
“The general guideline is that we will have to allow home isolation in a very well-controlled and positive manner. It will not be a restrictive one but a facilitative one this time,” National Health Mission, Assam, director Dr Lakshmanan S told TOI here on Sunday. “Lots of patients are already in home isolation. District-level coordination or reporting on time is going to be the key. The strategy is to keep the hospital beds for serious patients,” he added.
While in the previous two waves, all positive patients were encouraged to get admitted in Covid care centres or hospitals, whenever required, the faster spread of Omicron and rapid rise in daily cases has compelled the health department to rethink its policy.
Under 19 police stations in Kamrup (Metro), as many teams have been constituted to take stock of patients in home isolation. Till Sunday, there were 1,690 active cases in Kamrup (Metro). Of these, 1,292 patients (76%) are in home isolation, while 398 are in hospitals and the Sarusajai Covid care centre. Sources said considering the rise in the number of cases in greater Guwahati, the second Covid care centre in the city will be reactivated soon.
State health minister Keshab Mahanta recently told the media that under the Gauhati Medical College and Hospital managed units, 1,503 beds were ready. However, considering the spiralling caseload in Kamrup (Metro), where over 2,500 cases have been detected in the last 10 days, a crisis of hospital beds is imminent, if the number of symptomatic patients go up.
“Districts with bigger district headquarters towns are showing higher caseload, as expected. These include Kamrup, Jorhat, Cachar, Dibrugarh, Tinsukia and Sonitpur. The riverine island district of Majuli had reported only two Covid cases in the last 10 days till Sunday,” a health department official said.
The state health department, in its SOP issued late on Saturday evening, stated that patients under home isolation will stand discharged and end isolation after at least seven days from testing positive, if there has been no fever for three successive days and they shall continue wearing masks. However, they will continue to be under home quarantine for seven more days. “There is no need for re-testing after the home isolation period is over,” it clarified.
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