For discharge, no testing of cured Covid patients in Himachal

Ambika Sharma

Tribune News Service

Solan, September 19

A Covid-19 patient, who has clinically recovered, will not be tested again before his discharge from hospital or a special medical facility, as per the revised policy notified by the state government on September 16.

The Indian Council of Medical Research had in its advisory dated September 4 reiterated that no testing was recommended prior to the discharge of a patient from a Covid facility after his clinical recovery, as per the evolving scientific evidence.

Health officials said that the new guidelines would be applicable to patients with mild and moderate Covid symptoms who are asymptomatic. Depending on their immunity levels, the patients generally recover within 15 to 20 days.

Earlier, patients were tested after 10 days and re-tested after every five days till their reports came out negative before being discharged from a Covid facility.

The Additional Chief Secretary, Health, RD Dhiman, said, “As many as 94.5 per cent patients are being found asymptomatic in the state. All states are following the guidelines but we have been testing patients multiple times, which was not required. It is a huge burden on human resources”.

As per the new policy, patients with mild or very mild infection admitted to a Covid care facility will undergo regular temperature and pulse oximetry monitoring. They can be discharged after 10 days of the symptom onset and no fever for three days. No testing will be required prior to their discharge.

In case, a patient with moderate infection is admitted to a dedicated Covid health centre, he can be discharged after 10 days if his symptoms go away within three days and he maintains oxygen saturation above 95 per cent for the next four days. Conditions such as the absence of fever, resolution of breathlessness and no oxygen requirement are still there. The patient will be advised to isolate himself at home and self-monitor his health for seven days.

Health officials said that since breathlessness was a cause for concern for a Covid patient, an oximeter should be povided to him to monitor his oxygen level.