Hyderabad: Twenty medical personnel of Apollo Hospitals in Secunderabad were asked to self-isolate for 14 days as they came in contact with the patient who tested positive for Covid-19. They include three senior doctors, para-medical staff like nurses, ward boys, administration personnel and also employees who cleaned the hospital floor when the patient was in hospital.
They were taken to Gan-dhi Hospital for testing and asked to stay home. The families of the three doctors are worried and called government officials on whether they should practice self-isolation. They are upset with the disruption to their schedule.
The term “quarantine” has a negative connotation, hence the term “self-isolation”.
“We have explained that it is important for family to stay home,” said a senior government official. “Some are calling to check on the rate of positivity of the infection transmitting. For that we have advised them to wait for the results. We do not want panic. It is only a precaution and it is in everyone’s interest to curb the spread of the disease.”
Spouses have to take leave, children are not to go to school, and families have been told to shun relatives and neighbours. “Pr-acticing isolation is important because no one knows to whom the virus has been passed,” said a doctor.
“It is for the safety of all. It took us time to make them understand they were in contact with the person who was in contact with the positive case. The cooperation of people will help contain the spread.”
District medical and health officials have been tasked with checking on them morning and evening via phone, and also pay surprise visits to ensure compliance.
“It is the medical version of Section 144,” quipped a senior doctor from Apollo Hospitals.
Medical manual of corona virus for quarantine:
1. Stay in small groups at home.
2. In a large family, the person who came in contact must self-isolate from the rest of the family.
3. Do not get stressed or anxious as that weakens the immune system and helps the virus attack the body.
4. Keep yourself calm by listening to music, read books, relax and sleep.
5. Eat balanced home-cooked food.
6. Use disinfectants for the surfaces at home.
7. In case of symptoms of cough, cold, fever or breathing problems, immediately rush to the notified government
hospital.
