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The government on Friday revised its discharge guidelines for COVID-19 cases, implying that only the patients with severe illness or weak immunity will be required to test negative through a swab test before leaving hospital. Those with mild, very mild and pre-symptomatic cases will not be required to undergo testing prior to discharge. These patients will undergo regular temperature and pulse oximetry monitoring and will be discharged after 10 days, provided they have not had fever for the last three days. The patient, however, will be advised to follow home isolation for further 7 days. After discharge from the facility, if they again develop symptoms of fever, cough or breathing difficulty, he will contact the COVID Care Centre or State helpline or 1075. Their health will again be followed up through tele-conference on 14th day, says the revised guideline.
Cases which are classified as moderate will have to undergo body temperature monitoring and oxygen saturation. If the fever resolves within 3 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, no oxygen requirement, the guidelines read. There will be no need for testing prior to discharge. As per the previous rule, a laboratory confirmed case was required to be tested on day 14 and once again in a span of 24 hours. The patient was fit to leave the hospital or care centre if both the results were negative.