IndianEra > Coronavirus > As Unlock 1.0 Begins, Karnataka Plans ‘Reverse Quarantine’!

The COVID-19 Unlock 1.0 kickstarted across the country with governments lifting restrictions on all public places.

Malls, tourism centers, religious worship centers, and more public places across the nation have started witnessing footfalls.

But Karnataka is thinking of a different strategy, i.e., ‘reverse quarantine’!

Following the lines of Kerala, Karnataka State Government is adopting the ‘reverse quarantine’ strategy to protect elderly citizens and others susceptible to COVID-19.

‘Reverse Quarantine’ refers to the process of isolating vulnerable groups- elderly above 60 years and those with underlying medical conditions- from the remaining population.

Under this strategy, these isolated groups will be placed in separate rooms. Their interactions with out-going family members and others will be limited.

Reverse Quarantine

The state conducted a door-to-door survey and concluded that there are around 57 lakh elderly population, with 15 lakh of them having some co-morbidities like hypertension, diabetes, and cardio-related diseases.

“Our priority is to protect the vulnerable, especially elderly citizens and those with co-morbidities. We have been brainstorming ‘reverse quarantine’ and have been seeking opinions from experts,” Karnataka Deputy CM CN Ashwath Narayan said in a statement.

While the young population in the state is vulnerable to the virus, the elderly are more prone to fatalities, says Dr. US Vishal Rao, part of COVID-19 Consultative Group.

Dr. US Vishal Rao

In this regard, Rao suggests ‘reverse quarantine’ across the state, wherever possible.

“While analyzing the behavioral pattern, we found that many asymptomatic persons do not report about themselves for various reasons. In this backdrop, it is prudent to isolate and protect the vulnerable instead of allowing them to get exposed to the virus,” says Dr. Rao.

Currently, Kerala is adopting that strategy for cancer patients.

However, COVID-19 taskforce chair Dr. MK Sudarshan says the ‘reverse quarantine’ may pose a risk to mental wellness.

“What works in Kerala may not apply to Karnataka. We have not yet decided this for implementation in Karnataka,” Dr. Sudarshan adds.

A senior IAS official also raises an opinion saying, “When the idiosyncrasies of the virus are still not clear, how long can we isolate the elderly.”

He, however, adds that maintaining physical distancing measures at homes is a challenge on the other side.

“We can suggest senior citizens stay indoors, but it cannot be made mandatory. There are a lot of logistical issues involved. We will examine the proposal from all perspectives,” adds Narayan.

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Posted by IndianEra, 08/06/2020