Publication:

Home isolation, monitoring and follow-up as a management approach for mild to moderate COVID-19: a prospective observational study

Background The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, caused by SARS-CoV-2 manifests as mild to moderate disease in about 80 per cent of the patients. Present study intends to know the clinical outcomes of treating this cohort, in home-isolation milieu.

Methods The 171 of 210 suspected COVID-19 patients conforming to inclusion criteria were enrolled and evaluated. Patients were categorized for severity assessment for the purpose of treatment plan, monitoring and follow-up. Data pertaining to clinical profiles, age grouping along with CT chest severity scoring, laboratory data and treatment allocations and outcomes were statistically analyzed.

Results Among 171 patients, mean age was 48.5 (±11.9) years and males were 108 (63%).  The 93 (54%) and 69 (40%) patients had moderate and mild clinical severity, respectively. The 107 (63%) had mild CT severity score and 83 (48.5%) had one or more comorbidities. Neutrophil lymphocyte ratio (NLR), C-reactive protein (CRP) and D-dimer levels were significantly higher in clinically moderate and above 45 years age groups (p<0.05). Overall outcome showed one in mild and 12 in moderate group needed hospitalization and all recovered completely.

Conclusions Home-isolation, treatment and monitoring of study cohort with mild to moderate COVID-19, helped in timely interventions and uneventful recovery of majority of the patients.