What to do if you test Positive for COVID in Bengaluru?

BENGALURU COVID GUIDE

In the one week between June 28 and July 5, Bengaluru’s COVID-19 count more than tripled,
with 7240 new cases. The surge in cases has overburdened the city’s healthcare capacity, and
as a result, there have been many reports of patients not finding hospital beds or treatment on
time. This has led to panic and confusion about what one should do on testing COVID-positive.

“The panic and fear of COVID is actually worse than COVID itself. That’s what we have to
address before anything else,” says Dr Giridhara R Babu, Professor, Head-Lifecourse
Epidemiology, Indian Institute of Public Health. Dr Giridhar is a member of the state
government’s COVID expert committee as well as the ICMR task force for COVID.

In case you or a family member suspect COVID or test positive, what do you need to do? Here
is a guide on how you can be prepared, and what measures you can take.

1. Prevention

“We were late in increasing capacity, but now most things are in place and all that’s left is
community participation. The first thing for citizens to do is to protect themselves – avoid the
3Cs and do the 3Ws”, says Dr Giridhara.

Avoid the 3Cs:

Closed spaces with poor ventilation

Crowds (more than 2 people)
Close Contact

Follow the 3Ws:

Watch your distance (social distancing of at least six feet)

Wear a Mask
Wash your hands
2. What to do if you develop symptoms?

According to Dr Giridhara, in the majority of cases, patients develop only mild/moderate

symptoms or no symptoms at all.

Common early symptoms are:

Cough
Fever
Shortness of breath
Sore throat
Congestion
Headaches
Body Aches
Sudden loss of smell and taste, commonly reported by new COVID patients.

However, some asymptomatic patients may not experience any of these.

Stay home: “If you develop symptoms, don’t panic. The important thing is to stay at home and
isolate yourself,” says Dr Giridhara.

On July 4, state government initiated a policy of permitting home isolation for asymptomatic or
mild patients, indicating they can be treated sufficiently well at home.

Keep a pulse oximeter handy: Blood oxygen saturation levels (SpO2) play an important role
in determining the severity of symptoms. If the SpO2 level is below 90%, the patient’s condition
is considered severe and they need urgent treatment. If the level is above 95%, the patient is
considered mostly asymptomatic. “We are requesting the government to provide oximeters for
every patient who is advised home isolation,” says Dr Giridhara.

Consult a doctor: If you notice symptoms, talk to a doctor, preferably through tele-
consultation. You can also use the ArogyaSetu Self Assessment App. Based on this
preliminary assessment, the decision on whether or not to get tested should be made.
 Testing Criteria: All symptomatic patients from containment and buffer zones with ILI
and SARI symptoms (acute respiratory infection with fever AND cough) will be tested
immediately. Those from non-containment and buffer zones will be tested based on
doctor’s advice.

Getting Tested: Until the results of tests are out, you should stay isolated at home as much as
possible, according to Dr Giridhara.

Testing is done at fever clinics/swab collection centres at the district and taluk levels. There are
at least 113 fever clinics/swab collection centres in Bengaluru (66 private and 47 government),
where your samples can be taken.

List of Private Fever Clinics in Bengaluru

List of Government Fever Clinics in Bengaluru

From fever clinics/swab collection centres, samples are sent to one of the 25 ICMR-approved
testing labs in Bengaluru. All fever clinics and labs send all test reports to the BBMP or the
State Health Department. Hence, you may not get your results from the lab and may
instead get them from BBMP.

Details of BBMP Health Officers

You can contact the Health Officer of your BBMP zone, in case of emergencies. They are also
responsible for testing primary contacts of COVID-positive patients.

East Zone Dr Siddappa 9480684214

West Dr Hegde 9480683928

South Dr Shivakumar 9480973395

R.R. Nagar Dr Balasundar 9480685435

Dasarahalli Dr Balasundar 9480685435

Bommanahalli Dr Suresh 9480683473

Yelahanka Dr Savitha 9480684570

Mahadevapura Dr Surendra 9801750539

Quarantine Vs Isolation

Quarantine: Restricting movement of people who may have been exposed to the virus,
to check if they are developing any symptoms.

Isolation: Separating the suspected and/or infected person from those who have not
contracted the virus.

Source: Bengaluru Apartment Federation Guidelines

Credit: https://t.me/karnataka_Covid19

3. What if you test positive?

If you test positive, first inform your District Surveillance Officer (DSO)/BBMP local ward
officials, and call one of the following helplines:

14410
104
080-1077
080-22967200

If you are an apartment resident, you should immediately inform your local
residential/apartment association, who can offer support and ensure that authorities are
informed.

Labs will directly inform the BBMP/State authorities about positive results. BBMP is to send a
health team to the patient’s residence for a medical screening. They will check the patient’s
body temperature, SpO2 levels and co-morbidities (like hypertension, diabetes, TB, HIV,
cancer, etc.)/pregnancy.

Depending on your symptoms, the health team will decide if you are eligible for home isolation
or need treatment at a COVID facility.

Preparing an Isolation Kit

Whether you are eligible for home isolation, or if you need to go to a care centre or hospital, it
is good to get a kit ready. (Courtesy: Design Beku)

Information Other Items

1) Contacts of family doctor/neighbourhood 1) Finger pulse oximeter with spare

doctor, RWA office bearers/local volunteers
2) Contact numbers of COVID helpline of
your district, district hospital, ambulance,
medical store, medical oxygen cylinder
provider, local plasma bank, people who
have recovered recently from COVID-19,
private and government COVID-19 testing
labs servicing your area.
batteries. Epidemiologist Rifa Khan
suggests procuring one per family, or the
local RWA or apartment association could
keep a few stocked.
2) Face masks, thermometers, regular
medicines
3) Toiletry and sanitation kit

Documents 4) Water bottle and cutlery (for use during

1) Insurance details, medical records, list of
allergies, etc.
2) Form for COVID testing: Spare copies
quarantine), electric kettle and electric
steamer
5) Garbage bags for proper disposal of trash
 with data filled for everybody, to save on 6) Large can of Sodium Hypochlorite or a
exertion when you are sick disinfectant like Lizol, and hand sanitisers

3) Home isolation declaration, printed, with a 7) Mobile charger, cable, power bank, laptop
few spare copies and extra blank sheet
8) Cash, credit card, cheque book, banking
details, etc., for payments at the hospital

How to help contact tracing

It is good practice to keep a journal listing your daily contacts. In case you test positive, all your
contacts can be quickly informed and asked to go into quarantine.

If your household help, cook or driver are primary contacts, ensure you/your family members
inform them immediately. They as well as their other contacts (secondary contacts) need to
quarantine themselves as per BBMP surveillance team’s orders.

Share the name and phone number of your primary contacts in the last seven days, with the
government surveillance team . If you had visited public places like shops, office, gatherings,
etc., list this down along with the date and time. Keep this list ready to hand over when
required.

4. Moving to a COVID Facility

Based on the screening, the patient is recommended one of the following options – home
isolation, or treatment and isolation at Covid Care Centres (CCCs), government hospitals or
private hospitals.

Asymptomatic Patients

Those with body temperature less than 37.5℃, and SpO2 levels over 95%. They are moved to
a Covid Care Centre (CCC) or advised home isolation.

CCCs are hotels, hostels, halls, etc., which have been turned into facilities for COVID patients.
Earlier, they were only meant for symptomatic non-patients, but now mild or asymptomatic
cases are treated there.
All CCCs are to be equipped with pulse oximeters, handheld thermal scanners, and BP
apparatus. They are also supposed to have one nurse per 500 patients at all times.

“Patients are given a choice on how they want to be treated, depending on their symptoms. If
the patient’s symptoms are minor, as is likely to be in most cases, they are given the choice of
either isolating at home or at a COVID Care Centre. We expect that most will choose home
isolation when possible, as the important thing is to save beds for those who really need it
[severe patients],” says Dr Giridhara.

Home Isolation for Asymptomatic Patients

To be eligible for home isolation, you must meet the following criteria:

* Assessed by the health team of district/BBMP authorities

* Has to be clinically asymptomatic/mild: temperature <38℃, SpO2 levels > 95%, age
below 60 years
* Should not have co-morbidities such as kidney disease (requiring dialysis), heart
disease, stroke, TB, cancer, HIV. Should not be immuno-compromised, or be on steroids
or immunosuppressants
* Pregnant women four weeks before the expected date of delivery
* Must have necessary facilities for self-isolation at home and quarantining of immediate
contacts - separate and well-ventilated room
* If the home is not found to be suitable, or if the patient’s symptoms worsen, they are
moved to either CCCs or hospitals.

Read full guidelines on home isolation here (Karnataka government's Covid-19 site).

Symptomatic Patients

“If the medical team finds that you have symptoms which require treatment, there are three
options – government COVID hospitals (free treatment), private hospitals (with insurance), and
private hospitals for those who can pay more for treatment,” says Dr Giridhara.

According to a list released on July 4 by Dr Sudhakar K, Minister of Medical Education, there

are 19 government hospitals/medical colleges for COVID treatment in Bengaluru. Of these
three are Designated COVID Hospitals (DCHs) and 16 are Designated COVID Healthcare
Centres (DCHCs).

There are 72 private hospitals for COVID treatment in the city, according to Dr Sudhakar,
Minister for Medical Education.

There are two ways to get treated in private hospitals. If a patient is referred to private
institutions by public health authorities, treatment cost is subsidised by insurance packages
under the Ayushman Bharat-Arogya Karnataka (Ab-Ark) scheme.

Cost is higher if a patient approaches private hospitals directly, though the state government
has capped costs.

Whether you are sent to a DCHC or DCH will depend on your symptoms.

Patients with mild-moderate symptoms

If body temperature is more than 37.5℃ and SpO2 levels are between 90-94%, the patient will
be moved to a Dedicated COVID Healthcare Centre (DCHC).
At the DCHC, a more comprehensive health check-up will be done. Your BP, temperature,
oxygen levels, blood sugar levels, renal and liver function tests, CBC, ECG, etc., will be
checked. Depending on your results, you may be sent to a Dedicated COVID Hospital (DCH)
for more comprehensive treatment.

Severe Cases

If your oxygen levels are below 90%, you will be sent to a DCH directly. If you’re aged above 60
years with comorbid conditions or are immuno-compromised, the same applies. If a patient’s
health deteriorates at a CCC or DCHC, they too are sent to a DCH.

Dial 108 for Arogya Kavacha ambulance to shift patients

Dial 1912 if a government or private hospital denies bed

108 service will ascertain if the person is COVID-positive or a suspected case, and arrange for
an Advanced Life Support (ALS) ambulance to a nearby treatment facility in consultation with
the BBMP’s bed allocation team.

If the person has not undergone a COVID-19 test, but has breathlessness, asthma or ILI, they
will be shifted immediately to a COVID hospital and tested compulsorily.
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5. Discharge

After treatment, a patient can only be discharged if they meet certain criteria. All discharged
patients are to be under 14 days of home quarantine and self-monitoring.

Following are the discharge criteria for different categories of patients:

Asymptomatic

No symptoms
No fever
Oxygen levels over 95% maintained
Respiratory rate less than 24 per minute
Patient remains asymptomatic 10 days after the test
Mild/moderate symptoms

No fever or symptoms for three consecutive days

95% oxygen levels for four days
Resolution of breathlessness and inflammatory markers
Above conditions are maintained for at least consecutive 10 days after onset of
symptoms

Severe symptoms

No fever or symptoms for three days

Oxygen at 95% for four days
Resolution of breathlessness and inflammatory markers
Complete clinical recovery
Should test negative three days after recovery

Also read
► Eight things you must know about insurance policies covering COVID-19
treatment
► What to expect and how to cope if you test COVID positive in Delhi