Home isolation key to Covid-19 management

Srinagar : Amid surge in Covid-19 cases, Director Health Services Kashmir (DHSK), Dr Mushtaq Ahmad Rather on Saturday said that home isolation is a key to Covid-19 management and enumerated steps to be taken for the same.
He said on the directions of the Additional Chief Secretary Health and Medical Education, Vivek Bhardwaj the directorate has prepared detailed guidelines for home isolation.
The director said most cases at present are either asymptomatic or have mild symptoms, thus will go in home isolation mostly.
While addressing media at the office of the Directorate of Health Services Kashmir, the director said the third Covid-19 wave is mild and home isolation is very important to defeat the virus and people must be cautious.
He said people who are tested positive have to focus on 6Ms: Mixing, Monitoring Medicine, Meals, Mindset and activity, Movement towards hospital.
The director said if a person is tested positive he/she should follow these protocols till next eight days to ensure that the Covid-19 is prevented from further spread.
Positive persons should isolate at home and stay away from elders, people with comorbidities, pregnant ladies and children and follow home isolation measures.
“People should take hot water, liquids, healthy food and be insolation. Also go for exercise which is also important,” he said.
While explaining the guidelines issued by the medical experts, he said monitoring or maintaining the body temperature is very important.
“Those tested positive should get in constant touch with the local health authorities and helpline numbers are available to seek help in case of emergency,” he said.
The director said for the treatment they have trained all the health care providers and engaged local health workers including Aganwadi workers and ASHAs across all villages and facilities have been set up.
He also appealed media to play their role for the dissemination of information for the general public that will help to contain the virus in a more holistic way.
The director said that control rooms have been created at district, sub-district and block level and people can contact the doctors in case of kind of help.
He said on the directions of the Lieutenant Governor and Additional Chief Secretary (ACS) Health and Medical Education, Vivek Bhardwaj, Covid beds have been kept available in rural areas where people have no option to go for isolation.
The director also said they have recently held a trail of all the oxygen facilities and those have been kept on ready mode.
He also said that apart from dedicated 500 bedded DRDO Covid-19 hospital, beds have also been kept available at tertiary care hospitals, district and sub-district level.
The director said that all the facilities have been kept in ready mode in view of new surge in cases and the same is being reviewed on daily basis.
The director said that people do not need to panic however precautions are the only way to defeat Covid-19 from further spread.
“We need the cooperation of the people to fight the pandemic and once people cooperate with the authorities then only we will be in a position to combat the virus. The fight with the virus is incomplete without the cooperation of people,” he said.
Dr Mushtaq said that the first line of defense is mask, sanitation, hand hygiene and social distancing which should be maintained at any cost.
The director said that they have already directed all CMOs, BMOs and Medical Superintendents across Kashmir to increase the IEC activities and get in touch with the pubic to generate awareness about the disease.
He said that people should avoid unnecessary travel, avoid gatherings and functions which could be a reason for the exponential growth of the virus