Referee Report: Practices, Awareness, and Perception Towards Home-Based COVID-19 Management Among the General Population in Mangalore City in South India

The study conducted in Mangalore, India, assessed the practices, awareness, and perception of home-based COVID-19 management among 294 participants. It revealed significant gaps in knowledge, with only 6.5% aware of all mild symptoms, 13.6% knowing normal oxygen saturation, and 2% aware of the correct duration of home isolation. Among 45 diagnosed patients, 82.2% managed their condition at home, but vital sign monitoring was infrequent, and self-medication was common. Misuse of disposable masks and low awareness of proper handwashing duration were noted. The study concluded that training programs were necessary to improve home management practices and emphasized the importance of educating patients and caregivers on monitoring vital signs and recognizing danger signs.