NEW DELHI : With steep rise in Covid-19 patients countrywide, now nearing 60,000 mark, the centre has tweaked testing rules, asking to hold back pre-discharge testing on patients if they be in the mild-symptom category. The Health Ministry on Saturday said, no Reverse Transcription PCR or RT-PCR need be conducted if patients have only mild symptoms at time of discharge.
The new guideline, according to a senior official, aims to prevent hospitals from being overwhelmed should the surges in Covid cases escalate further in coming days.
“Very mild, mild and pre-symptomatic cases can be discharged after 10 days of symptom onset and no fever for three days,” the new guideline reads.
For moderate cases, if there is no fever or ventilation needed, the patient can be discharged on day 10 of having had the symptoms. In cases where the patients have to be ventilated, the discharge will come only after “resolution of clinical symptoms and ability to maintain oxygen saturation for three consecutive days”.
Thus, the patients from very mild to mild and moderate range, can be discharged when their symptoms subside and without a RT-PCR test thereof.
Up to now, each patient before being let off had to test negative twice for the virus.
Also, while on course of recovery if a patient’s oxygen saturation levels dips below 95 percent, the person will be moved to a “dedicated Covid-19 health centre”.
If any discharged person redevelops symptoms like fever, cough or breathing difficult, he may contact the Covid care centre or state helpline or 1075. A follow-up will be arranged for.
Asymptomatic patients have been a big worry to health professionals especially in worst-hit regions like Maharashtra and Delhi, where scores of people are detected with the virus only up on testing. The new guideline now adds another dimension to that anxiety.
