NEW DELHI: Personal care, better hygiene and lesser chances of aggravation of infection are some of the issues that weigh on the minds of asymptomatic coronavirus patients many of whom prefer home quarantine over institutional isolation.
Many COVID-19 patients who have recovered by exercising home quarantine said most of the time the fear of the disease disturbs the patients mentally and this is when the family's support comes into the picture.
On Friday, Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal made a five-day institutional quarantine mandatory for every COVID-19 patient under home quarantine in Delhi, a move that the Delhi government said will put considerable pressure on the city's already stressed health infrastructure.
It said the decision was ''arbitrary" and will "seriously harm" the national capital.
The AAP government's thrust has been on home isolation for asymptomatic patients.
As on Friday, 10,490 coronavirus patients were under home quarantine.
A Laxmi Nagar based media professional who has recovered from coronavirus said home isolation is a safer solution if one is asymptomatic.
"I sent my wife and children to stay with her brother, who stays in the same building as me, as soon as I developed fever. After I got tested and my report came positive, I stayed in home isolation. I would eat in disposable plates and practice hygiene," he said.
The family would give him meals at regular intervals while taking care of his food preferences. He had also feared that staying at a quarantine centre would aggravate his condition.
"Many of my acquaintances had fever only for a day but their reports came positive. They stayed in home isolation and recovered. At a quarantine centre, you won't have access to a separate toilet and the kind of care and attention that you would get from your own family members," he told PTI.
The Laxmi Nagar resident also had a set of complains. He said the government officials who would regularly oversee him treated him like an "untouchable".
They would ask him to climb down two floors just to take his temperature.
"Even the helpline number I used to call would ask me the same questions every day. Even on the last day of my recovery, their questions remained the same.
"There should be people who are aware about your symptoms and what were the initial issues that you faced. But their policy is 'one size fits all'," he said, adding that he preferred home isolation to institutional quarantine.
A senior police officer, who recovered in home isolation, said if a COVID-19 patient has the capability to isolate himself or herself from family members and practice hygiene, there is no better solution than home quarantine.
"I had mild symptoms, which included fever and throat infection. I ate a healthy diet and immunity boosting foods. Instead of allopathic medicines, I relied on Ayurvedic remedies for recovery. The results were visible," he said.
Aam Aadmi Party MLA Atishi, who is herself recovering from the viral disease in home isolation, said she was "appalled" by the LG's order and said it would further lead to the spread of coronavirus.
"Ending the option of home isolation will lead to further spread of Corona, as many people will be scared of institutional quarantine and will not get themselves tested. They will continue to function as normal and spread the COVID-19 virus," she said on Twitter.
"There are a limited number of healthcare workers in Delhi. This means that instead of utilising them for severe patients who need medical support, they will be used for supporting asymptomatic/mild patients who don't actually need this support," she said in a series of tweets.
Most importantly, 80 per cent patients who are COVID-19 positive have very mild symptoms, she said, adding that they don't need medical facilities to recover but need the comfort of their own homes and love and support of their families.
A resident of Uttam Nagar, who is in his late 30s and was detected with coronavirus on Friday, echoed similar views.
"I asked my medical officer on whether I will be sent to institutional quarantine. He said there is still no clarity on how the order would be implemented.
"I am taking my medicines and checking my oxygen levels at regular intervals and feel that being at home is a better option considering that I have fever and slight breathing difficulty," he said.
On Saturday, after a meeting of the Delhi State Disaster Management Authority (DDMA), the Lt Governor said the five-day mandatory institutional quarantine would be required for only those who do not need hospitalisation and do not have adequate facilities for home isolation.
Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia said the LG's reservations over home isolation were resolved in the SDMA meeting and the home quarantine system will continue.