Chennai: Covid-19 patients who are not vaccinated who have co-morbid conditions must be under institutional care for at least five days regardless of symptoms, the Ministry of Health says in the revised management protocol.
Along with them pregnant women, nursing mothers, and patients over 60 years must be referred to Covid Hospital.
All patients with a history of severe covid or death must be at a higher center.
On Monday, the country updated the Covid-19 protocol based on recommendations from the Directorate of Medical Education, which manages all government medical hospitals in the state.
The expert medical committee on December 30 gave advice on the management of Covid-19 cases in the state in the midst of increasing cases.
“The aim is to ensure the right patient is in the hospital right at the right time.
The policy will help us triase patients and keep beds in higher centers intended for critical patients,” said Health Secretary J Radhakrishnan.
If the patient covid-19 has a mild infection with small or no symptoms, home isolation is recommended.
But pregnant women, nursing mothers and senior citizens will be referred to Covid Hospital and those who have a family history with severe covid or death because infection will be referred to a higher care center.
Patients with unvaccinated comorbid conditions must be treated at Covid care centers for at least 5 days even if they have no symptoms.
If they don’t have comorbidity, they will be suggested by home isolation.
Patients with moderate disease (oxygen saturation between 90 and 93 and the respiratory rate between 24 and 30 per minute) must be received in hospitals with oxygen facilities.
The hospital must have a separate ward for patients and “suspected patients”.
The hospital will carry out test batteries including complete blood, random blood sugar, CRP and X-ray from the chest in addition to monitoring blood sugar and plasma levels.
Patients will be prescribed oxygen therapy with steroids, antibiotics, and other Covid-19 drugs.
If complications – including increasing blood sugar, decreased saturation of oxygen – developing, patients must be referred to a higher care center.
Patients with severe disease (oxygen saturation of less than 90 or higher respiratory levels than 30) will require reception in medical hospitals, Covid hospitals or health centers dedicated to oxygen supplementation for further management.
After the patient stabilizes, the hospital can send them to the Covid Health Center or treatment center with oxygen facilities.
Patients can be removed from higher care centers and CCCS only when the oxygen saturation is maintained at 92% in the air room for at least two days