On Friday 7th May 2020, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare announced
revised policies for the discharge of COVID – 19 patients.
Let me tell you the three categories.
For Mild/ Very Mild/ Pre-symptomatic Cases admission is necessary.
If 10 days after the start of the symptoms, they do not have a fever for 3 days,
then without testing they can be discharged.
As the guidelines, after discharge the patients have to follow home isolation for seven days.
If their oxygen levels are above 95% then they are healthy.
If the patient’s oxygen level drops below 95 %, then the patient will be shifted to COVID Health Center.
If the oxygen levels fall below 90%, patients may have lethargy, confusion, or mental disruption.
For patients admitted having moderate cases.
If after ten days of the start of symptoms,
there is no fever for three days
and the oxygen level is above 95% for the four days without oxygen support then will be discharged.
They also will be discharged without testing.
They will also be advised for home isolation for seven days.
If the moderate case’s fever does not solve, they will need oxygen support.
Once they are better and oxygen levels are normal,
after three days they will discharged.
If their levels are still low, they will be monitored and then they will be discharged after 3 days.
Severe cases of COVID-19 patients who already have HIV or those who have undergone transplant surgery like Kidney.
Such patients have a very weak immune system.
Mild and moderate cases can be discharged.
For severe cases they need to be moderated by the doctor.
Once their symptoms go away they will not be discharged but
they will have to do the RT-PCR test.