The government today ordered implementation of revised discharge policy for Covid infected patients.
As per the order, a patient can be discharged after 10 days of onset of symptoms and no fever for 3 days.
All asymptomatic patients not admitted to any facility and being treated at home will also be treated similarly. There will be no need for testing prior to discharge or home isolation, as per the new revised discharge policy which will be implemented in dedicated hospitals for Covid19.
At the time of discharge, the order reads, the patient will be advised to follow the home isolation for further seven days as per guidelines at www.mohfw.gov.in.
“At any point of time, prior to discharge from Covid-19 Care Centre (CCC), if the oxygen saturation dips below 95 percent, the patient is moved to a dedicated COVID health centre,” reads the order.
According to the order, “After discharge from the facility, if he / she again develops symptoms of fever, cough or breathing difficulty, he will contact the COVID Care Centre. His/her health will again be followed up through tele-conference on the 14th day.”
The patients whose symptoms resolve within three days and maintain saturation above 95 percent for the next four days like cases clinically classified as “moderate cases” will undergo monitoring of body temperature and oxygen saturation.
If the fever resolves within three days and the patient maintains saturation above 95% for the next 4 days (without oxygen support), such patient will be discharged after 10 days of symptom onset in case of absence of fever without antipyretics, resolution of breathlessness, and no oxygen requirement.
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 7 days as per guidelines available at www.mohfw.gov.in. Patient on oxygenation whose fever does not resolve within 3 days and demand of oxygen therapy continues, such patients will be discharged only after: resolution of clinical symptoms, ability to maintain oxygen saturation for three consecutive days.