As per latest guideline, other categories of patients need not be tested before discharge

The Union Health Ministry has revised its discharge guidelines for COVID-19, stating that only patients with severe illness need to be tested (through a swab test) and a negative report obtained before discharge.
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The latest guideline adds that other categories of patients, including very mild, mild, pre-symptomatic and moderate cases, need not be tested before discharge.
The two-page revised guideline replaces the previously existing rule under which patients (lab-confirmed cases) were discharged after two negative tests on day 14 and 21.
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The guideline states that the revised policy is aligned with guidelines on the three-tier COVID-19 health facilities and the categorisation of patients based on clinical severity mild, moderate and severe.
As per the latest guideline for mild, very mild and pre-symptomatic cases admitted to a COVID-19 care facility patients will undergo regular temperature and pulse monitoring.
Patient can be discharged after 10 days of symptom onset and if they have no fever for three days. There will be no need for testing prior to discharge, states the revised guidelines.
It adds that at the time of discharge, patients will be advised to follow the home isolation for seven more days.
It further clarifies that after discharge from the facility, if patients develop symptoms of fever, cough or breathing difficulty, they must contact the COVID-19 Care Centre or State helpline or 1075. Their health will again be followed up through tele-conference on the 14th day.
Moderate cases will undergo monitoring of body temperature and oxygen saturation.
If fever resolves within three days and a patient maintains saturation above 95% for the next four days (without oxygen support), he or she will be discharged after 10 days of symptom onset in case there is no fever without anti-fever drugs, no breathlessness and no need for oxygen.
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There will again be no need for testing prior to discharge, and home isolation for seven days is suggested, along with close monitoring of health, notes the guideline.
All India Institute of Medical Sciences Resident Doctors Association general secretary Srinivas Rajkumar, reacting to the revised guideline, noted that the decision to send back COVID-19 positive patients without testing was a disaster in the making.
People sent back untested may spread the virus in the community. What was the govt doing for 40 days without arranging enough testing facilities? Is govt ready to sacrifice 2 lakh Indians or more to COVID-19 based on estimates? he said.