‘Mild symptoms do not require hospitalisation’

Home isolation with some precautions will help them overcome infection, say doctors

An IT employee living at Marripalem in the city developed cough and fever a few weeks ago and the RTPCR test at the Government ENT Hospital revealed that he was COVID-19 positive. Like most others, he did not panic. The long queues for beds at the hospital convinced him that taking the prescribed drugs in home isolation is a better option. The two-bedroom house where he lives with his wife and children, proved convenient for isolation, and in a couple of weeks, the symptoms disappeared. Now he is raring to go out, after a second confirmation test. This is not an isolated case and there are over 15,000 patients undergoing treatment in home isolation in the district. In some cases, all the family members are affected but they are managing all by themselves at home. The lack of oxygen beds at hospitals is forcing some patients requiring oxygen support to use oxygen concentrators and cylinders at home, apart from taking the required steroids through online consultation. They are ordering medicines, food and provisions online as they cannot go out and mingle with the crowds.