The Covid-19 suspects and confirmed cases are directed to follow isolation in designated health facilities and line listing of all contacts of such cases is performed. According to MOHFW, a contact is defined as a "healthy person that has been in such association with an infected person or a contaminated environment as to have exposed and is therefore at a higher risk of developing the disease."
In the context of COVID-19, it is defined as a person having had direct physical contact with a coronavirus patient or his/her infectious secretions without recommended personal protective equipment (PPE), was in a close environment with the infected individuals, or in face-to-face contact with a COVID-19 case at a distance of within 1 metre including air travel.
For cases under consideration, the guidelines state that the epidemiological link might have occurred within a 14‐day period before the onset of illness.
Instructions for contacts to be home-quarantined
The home quarantined person should:
- Stay in a well-ventilated single-room preferably with an attached/separate toilet. If another family member needs to stay in the same room, it's advisable to maintain a distance of at least 1 meter between the two.
- The person should stay away from elderly people, pregnant women, children, and persons with co-morbidities within the household.
- The contracted individual should restrict the movement within the household and under no circumstances attend any religious or social gathering such as weddings, parties, condolences, etc.
Public health safety measures for the quarantined
- Wash hands as often thoroughly with soap and water or with alcohol-based hand sanitizer.
- Avoid sharing household items e.g. dishes, drinking glasses, cups, eating utensils, towels, bedding, or other items with other people at home.
- Wear a surgical mask at all times. The mask should be changed every 6-8 hours and disposed of. Disposable masks are never to be reused.
- Masks used by patients/caregivers/ close contacts during home care should be disinfected using ordinary bleach solution (5%) or sodium hypochlorite solution (1%) and then disposed of either by burning or deep burial.
- Used masks should be considered as potentially infected.
- If symptoms appear (cough/fever/difficulty in breathing), then he/she should immediately inform the nearest health center or call 011-23978046.
Instructions for the family members of individuals being home quarantined
- Only an assigned family member should be tasked with taking care of the patient
- Avoid shaking the soiled linen or direct contact with skin
- Use disposable gloves when cleaning the surfaces or handling soiled linen.
- Wash hands after removing gloves.
- Visitors should not be allowed near the close proximity of the patient/suspect of Covid-19
- In case the person being quarantined becomes symptomatic, all his close contacts will be home quarantined (for 14 days) and followed up for an additional 14 days or till the report of such a case turns out negative on lab testing.
For sanitation of the environment, it is important to clean and disinfect frequently touched surfaces in the quarantined person's room (e.g. bed frames, tables, etc.) daily with 1% Sodium Hypochlorite Solution. Also, toilet surfaces should be cleaned and disinfected daily with a regular household bleach solution/phenolic disinfectants. Clothes and other linen used by the person should be cleaned using common household detergent and dried.
It is to be noted that the home quarantine period is for 14 days in case of the patient confirmed with Covid-19 and those suspects of whom the patient is a contact until the reports indicate negative on laboratory testing.
