On Thursday, the health ministry released "Revised guidelines for home isolation of mild/asymptomatic Covid-19 cases", in which it warned against attempting to obtain or prescribe Remdesivir injections at home, emphasizing that it should only be given in a hospital environment.

As per the guidelines, systemic oral steroids are not recommended in minor conditions, although if symptoms (persistent fever, worsening cough, etc.) last more than seven days, the prescribing doctor should be consulted for low-dose oral steroid care. If minor symptoms continue, the Ministry recommends four medications that physicians should administer to patients in home isolation. It also permitted immunocompromised patients to be isolated at home after a doctor's diagnosis.

Patients above the age of 60, as well as those with co-morbid conditions like asthma, diabetes, coronary failure, chronic lung, liver, or kidney disease, cerebrovascular disease, and so on, will only be allowed home isolation following a thorough examination by the prescribing medical officer, according to the law, it added.

If the person's oxygen saturation levels drop or they become out of breath, they should be admitted to the hospital and meet with the prescribing physician or the monitoring team right away.

Patients can practice warm-water gargles or steam inhalation twice a day, according to the updated recommendations.

"If a maximum dosage of the tab. paracetamol 650 mg four times a day does not control the fever, contact the prescribing doctor, who can recommend other medications such as non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) (ex: tab. Naproxen 250 mg twice a day) or tab. Ivermectin (200 mcg/kg once a day, to be administered on an empty stomach) for 3 to 5 days," the guidance said.

If the symptoms (fever and/or cough) continue past five days, they added, inhalational Budesonide (800 mcg twice daily via inhalers with spacer for five to seven days) should be administered.

The ministry stated that the decision to prescribe Remdesivir or some other investigational therapy must be made by a medical practitioner and that it can only be done in a hospital environment.

"Remdesivir should not be obtained or administered at home. In moderate illness, systemic oral steroids are not recommended. If symptoms last more than seven days (persistent fever, worsening cough, etc. ), see the doctor for low-dose oral steroids "According to the rules.

According to the revised guidelines, asymptomatic cases are laboratory-confirmed cases with no signs and oxygen saturation of more than 94 percent in room air, whereas moderate cases are patients with upper respiratory tract symptoms (and/or fever) but no shortness of breath and oxygen saturation of more than 94 percent in room air.

Ritu Pansy