PMC issues guidelines for treatment protocol for Covid-19 patients in home isolation

Till Sunday, 58,435 people were reported to be under home quarantine in Pune district, out of which 35,795 are from PMC areas.

WITH CLOSE to 60,000 people in home isolation for Covid-19 in Pune, civic health authorities have issued detailed guidelines for general practitioners on treatment regimen protocol. Dr D B Kadam, chairperson of the Pune Covid-19 task force, told The Indian Express that a meeting on Monday re-emphasised that drugs like hydroxychloroquine and azithromycin should not be administered.

“Patients are expected to monitor themselves and then inform doctors. What needs to be done is a six-minute walk test and monitoring oxygen saturation levels thrice a day,” said Dr Kadam.

Other parameters such as blood tests should be conducted on specific days to check C-reactive protein (CRP) levels, said Dr Sanjeev Wavare, assistant health chief of the PMC.

Experts said blood parameters should be checked on 0, third, seventh and 10th day while drugs like doxycycline could be administered. Dr Wavare said detailed guidelines will be sent to general practitioners, who are also members of Indian Medical Association (IMA), on measures to monitor patients in home isolation.

Till Sunday, 58,435 people were reported to be under home quarantine in Pune district, out of which 35,795 are from PMC areas. The remaining 18,685 are from Pimpri-Chinchwad while 3,955 are Pune rural and cantonment areas.

Dr Sanjay Patil, chairperson of the hospital board of India, Pune chapter, said their general practitioners were engaged in monitoring patients in home isolation. “The meeting held by the PMC and experts reinforced what needs to be done while treating patients at home. For instance, X-Ray can be taken on the fifth day of the onset of symptoms. Also advice was given as to what kind of complications can arise and why the patient must remain alert,” Dr Patil said.

To avoid blocking beds at hospitals, doctors have urged people not to panic despite the rising number of cases in Pune. Dr Kapil Zirpe, one of the expert members in the task force, told The Indian Express that there was a need to correctly guide patients as to when they needed hospitalisation. “For instance, if a person has persistent high-grade fever for 48 hours or oxygen saturation less than 92 along with chest pain, then she must visit the doctor immediately,” Dr Zirpe said.

“A majority of the patients in home isolation are asymptomatic and, hence, to boost their confidence we must give them vitamin C tablets and basic paracetamol tablets for temperature. Doctors guiding patients in home isolation must tell them not to panic,” Dr Zirpe said.

All major hospitals are advising patients in home isolation, and rates of packages have been slashed in comparison to last year, several hospital authorities said. Dr Zirpe also stressed on the need for proper bed management.

Dr H K Sale, executive director at Noble hospital, said they did not admit patients with mild symptoms. “Already, 253 beds at Noble hospital are full of Covid-19 patients, including all 40 ICU beds. People must not panic if they are asymptomatic,” he added.

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