Home Isolation May Curb Omicron Surge in Telangana

Hyderabad: In Telangana, home-based isolation to recover from Omicron variant-driven COVID-19 infections might be critical in the coming months.

With studies indicating that Omicron is highly transmissible while also being potentially less severe than the Delta variant, the state healthcare system is preparing for the possibility of having to treat a large number of Omicron-positive cases who will require home isolation rather than hospitalisation.

As part of these efforts, the health ministry is laying the groundwork for the implementation of the Home Isolation Treatment and Monitoring Protocol (HITAM), as well as procuring over 25 lakh home isolation kits to provide guidance and medicine to Omicron variant positive patients who require home isolation to recover.

"Given the Omicron variant's high transmissibility and lower severity, there may be a situation where a large number of Covid-19 infections do not require hospitalisation but do require home isolation care." Dr G Srinivasa Rao, Director of Public Health (DPH), said, "We are preparing for such situations to meet the needs of patients by procuring over 25 lakh home isolation kits."

Apart from giving medicine kits, skilled tele-callers will monitor the evolution of symptoms and treatment compliance among patients as part of home isolation care. These procedures were implemented as part of the HITAM effort, which began with the opening of a state-of-the-art call centre and monitoring facility in Hyderabad during the second Covid wave.

Quick detection of COVID-19 positive patients at testing centres, as well as advice on home isolation or hospitalisation, are all part of the home-based isolation treatment and monitoring facility. Patients who require home isolation are given home isolation kits, including medicines, as soon as possible, on the doctor's suggestion, and their health is then monitored remotely by skilled tele-callers.

Patients are sent to hospitals as soon as clinical deterioration occurs, such as persistent fever, dyspnea, or other symptoms, especially in high-risk groups or with co-morbid diseases. Tele-callers are trained to recognise instances that need to be escalated to the hospital.

For speedy transportation and admission, the tele-callers will have information on emergency ambulances and bed availability at Covid hospitals.

While no specific medicine has been included in the treatment guidelines for Omicron positive patients, health officials have stated that general medicines such as paracetamol, cetirizine, broad-spectrum antibiotics such as doxycycline, and supplements such as Vitamin C will be included in the home isolation kit, in addition to specific instructions printed in pamphlets.