Asymptomatic coronavirus patients in Mumbai can be shifted to COVID Care Centres or their homes after five-days of treatment at the hospital. According to the new guidelines by the state-appointed COVID-19 Task Force, nearly 40 per cent asymptomatic patients without co-morbidities can be sent to the CCCs or their residences even if they don't test negative after the five days at the hospital.
The decision to shift asymptomatic coronavirus patients without co-morbidities in Mumbai has been taken in view of increasing load on doctors and hospitals. "It will reduce the load on doctors and they can concentrate on symptomatic patients. It will help us reduce the mortality rate too," Dr Sanjay Oak, chairman of the COVID-19 Task Force was quoted as saying by local daily Mid Day.
Dr Oak said that the viral shedding becomes low after five days of treatment and the virus can't transmit to others. He, however, said that only doctors will decide who can be shifted from the hospital and those being moved to their homes or CCCs will be daily monitored by health officials.
"After treatment for five days, the viral shedding is very low and it cannot be transmitted to other people. Patients with small homes can be shifted to a CCC and to their homes if it is large enough for quarantining the patient in a room. Both types of patients will be strictly monitored by health professionals," he added.
Maharashtra coronavirus cases cross 3,000
Maharashtra reported 165 new coronavirus cases on Thursday, taking the total number of COVID-19 positives in the state to 3081, according to the state health department. Maharashtra has the highest number of coronavirus cases in India, followed by Delhi and Tamil Nadu.
Of the 165 new cases, 107 were reported from Mumbai city, also a coronavirus hotspot, while 19 were from Pune city. Apart from that, 13 new cases were reported from Thane, 11 from Nagpur, four each from Pimpri-Chinchwad (Pune) and Malegaon (Nashik). Two each of coronavirus cases were reported from Navi Mumbai and Vasai-Virar (Palghar), and one each from Ahmednagar, Chandrapur and Panvel (Raigad).
India is among the top 20 most-hit countries with more than 13,000 coronavirus cases and nearly 450 deaths. The virus, which originated from the Chinese city of Wuhan, has killed 1.46 lakh people and infected 2.1 million across the world. Over half a million people have also recovered from the COVID-19 infection.
