KAKINADA: For the first time in the State, three members of a family, who tested positive for COVID-19, were allowed home isolation in East Godavari district. A couple — husband (43) and wife (30) — and his brother (45) were put under home isolation after they tested positive for coronavirus in Rajamahendravaram.
District Medical and Health Officer Dr Satya Susheela said the new initiative would provide good result as the patients will be more comfortable in their home rather than in isolation centres. District Collector D Muralidhar Reddy said they have come up with the initiative on a trial basis and said if the patients feel that their health condition is worsening, they will be shifted hospital isolation to give further treatment.
The trio arrived here from Chennai recently.
The couple are software engineers working in Chennai.
With lockdown relaxations, the couple came to Rajamehndravaram and were initially lodged at a quarantine centre at Boomuru, where the woman tested positive in TruNAT tests. Later, her husband and his brother too tested positive for coronavirus.
They requested the authorities to send them to home isolation and assured that they will follow the Covid guidelines. Later, they were allowed to go home.
Officials said this will give confidence for the people to report their symptoms as they can opt for home isolation instead of one at hospital, which has become a major hurdle for several people to report their illness. The health condition of the trio will be monitored by telemedicine representatives and they will be given medical advice by doctors time-to-time.
Officials said they will allow home isolation for those who can follow physical distancing norm in their houses. “An individual bedroom with attached bathroom is needed for home isolation,’’ said DMHO Dr Satya Susheela. Similarly, another 70-year-old woman, who came to her native place in the district from Hyderabad in her car recently, was also allowed home isolation. As she was asymptomatic and demanded home isolation, she was allowed the same.