Ministry of Health issues revised discharge policy for COVID-19 patients

May 9: Amid the surging coronavirus cases in the country, the central government on Saturday revised its discharge policy for COVID-19 patients. In its revised policy, the Centre said that only severe coronavirus patients will be tested before hospital discharge. As per the new policy, very mild or mild and moderate patients can now be discharged without COVID-19 test, subject to clinical conditions. Until now, patients were discharged only if two of their specimens tested negative for Coronavirus in RT-PCR swab tests after a gap of 24 hours.

The revised policy further said that patients admitted to COVID-19 health centres, whose symptoms resolve within three days and who maintain oxygen saturation above 95 per cent for the next four days, will be clinically classified as “moderate cases”. Mild/very mild/pre-symptomatic cases admitted to a COVID Care Facility will undergo regular temperature and pulse oximetry monitoring. The patient can be discharged after 10 days of symptom onset and no fever for 3 days. There will be no need for testing prior to discharge. At the time of discharge, the patient will be advised to follow the home isolation for further 7 days.

Health Ministry issues revised discharge policy for #COVID19 patients

As per new policy, very mild/mild & moderate patients can be discharged without #COVID_19 test, subject to clinical conditions

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— PIB in Maharashtra 🇮🇳 #MaskYourself 😷 (@PIBMumbai) May 8, 2020

The discharge criteria for severe cases, including immunocompromised ones like HIV patients, transplant recipients, and those having malignancy will be based on clinical recovery and of patient tested negative once by RT-PCR (after resolution of symptoms), the revised policy stated.

The change in the discharge policy comes at a time when the dreadful coronavirus is increasing at an alarming rate. The government has also said that people “need to learn to live with the virus” sought “a behavioural change” and everyone’s support in the fight against the dreadful infection.

Click here to read the detail revised discharge policy for COVID-19 issued by MoHFW