Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, on Wednesday, urged people who have contracted COVID-19 and are asymptomatic to opt for home isolation and care, strictly according to the directions and guidelines of the Health Department.
With COVID-19 cases surging in the State, health facilities and its infrastructure can be utilised strictly for those patients with symptoms and who may require a higher level of medical care, if those who are asymptomatic or have only mild symptoms opt for home care, he said.
He said that unnecessary fear and misconceptions about COVID-19 were preventing those with asymptomatic infections but who had adequate facilities at home, from opting for home care.
While home isolation and care, if done strictly as per the guidelines issued by the Health Department, was nothing to be scared about, it had been noticed that even the friends and family of the infected persons were pushing them towards choosing only hospital care .
Better recovery
Mr. Vijayan said that apart from reducing the strain on the health system, remaining at home amongst one’s own family could help reduce the mental stress of the infected and help them recover better.
He said that while deaths owing to COVID-19 were fewer among younger persons, when the total case numbers went up, mortality could rise among the younger age group also.
He claimed that initial reports had indicated that a good number of those who were at the forefront of the strikes in the capital city had contracted the disease.
