Revised discharge protocol for COVID-19 patients issued by Assam govt

April 24: The Health & Family Welfare Department hereby notified the Revised Discharge Protocol for COVID-19 patients (Annexure 4). In supersession of the earlier discharge protocol for COVID-19 patients issued vide Health & Family Welfare Department’s earlier communication dated 24 April, 2021, the Principal Secretary to the Govt of Assam, Health & Family Welfare Department issued fresh orders on 24 April 2021. This notification comes into immediate effect.

The revised discharged protocol is aligned with the guidelines on the 3 tire COVID facilities and the categorization of the patient based on clinical severity as per the Revised Protocol for Management of COVID-19 vide Government Notification No. HLA.274/2020/ 127, Dated: 7^th April,2021.

COVID-19 positive and asymptomatic:

1.1 COVID-19 positive asymptomatic patients shall be isolated and treated at the COVID care center.

1.2) Asymptomatic individuals with positive RAT/RTPCR test report who continue to remain asymptomatic during their stay in the isolation ward of the hospital can be discharged on the 7th day from the date of collection of 1st positive sample if the following criteria are met:

a) No fever and no symptoms for at least 3 consecutive days before discharge (without the use of antipyretics.

b) Maintain oxygen saturation (SP02) above 94% for at least 3(three) days without oxygen support.

Negative RAT test.

1.3) If the 1st repeat RAT test done on the 7th day is positive, the test shall be repeated every 72 hours till negative.

1.4) At the time of discharge, the patient shall be advised home isolation for 10 days (under active surveillance for 3 days and passive surveillance for 7 days).

COVID-19 positive and symptomatic:

2.1) All COVID-19 positive symptomatic patients shall be isolated and treated at dedicated COVID Hospital.

2.2) The patients shall undergo regular temperature and oxygen saturation (SP02) monitoring.

2.3) The patients can be discharged only after 7 days from the date of collection of 1st positive sample if the following criteria are met: a) No fever and no symptoms for at least 3 consecutive days before discharge (without the use of antipyretics

b) Maintain oxygen saturation (SP02) above 94% in room air for at least 3(three) days without oxygen support.

c) Negative RAT test.

2.4) If the 1st repeat RAT test on the 7th day is positive, the test shall be repeated every 72 hours till negative.

2.5) At the time of discharge, the patient shall be advised home isolation for 10 days (under active surveillance for 3 days and passive surveillance for 7 days).

COVID-19 positive with severe diseases (including immune-compromised patients e.g HIV patients, transplant recipients, malignancy, etc.) :

Discharged criteria for severe cases will be based on Clinical recovery and negative RT-PCR test (After resolution of symptoms) These patients can be discharged from the hospital if following criteria are met:

a) No fever and no symptoms for at least 3 consecutive days before discharge (without the use of antipyretics)

b) Maintain oxygen saturation (SPO2) above 94% in room air for at least 3 days without oxygen support.

c) Negative RTPCT test.

Asymptomatic COVID-19 cases on Home Isolation: 

Those COVID-19 cases who have opted for home isolation shall intimate to the concerned person of the District Administration for deemed to be discharged on the seventh day from the day of first positive test. No repeat testing is required for those patients. However, they have to be on home isolation for another 10 days (under active surveillance for 3 days and passive surveillance for 7 days).