Kohima, June 7 (MExN): The Department of Health and Family Welfare (DHFW) on June 5 issued a revised discharge policy for COVID-19 patients in the state, advising Chief Medical Officers and Medical Superintendents of all COVID Hospitals to implement the same with immediate effect.
Asymptomatic cases in COVID Care Centres
As per revised guidelines, asymptomatic patients who are admitted in the COVID Care Centre or other designated COVID facilities, and remain asymptomatic will be re-tested on the 14th day from the day of the sample collection of the first test.
If the re-test result is negative, the patient will be discharged with advice for home quarantine for 14 days.
Symptomatic cases in COVID Hospitals
Symptomatic patients who recover early in the COVID Hospitals will be shifted to the COVID Care Centre and re-tested on the 14th day from the day of the sample collection of the first test. If the re-test is negative and the patient is asymptomatic for the last 3 days at least, he/she will be discharged with advice for home quarantine for 14 days.
In the case of patients who clinically recover but still test positive during the re-test, he/she will be shifted to COVID Care Centre and testing will be repeated with a gap of 5 days between each re-test. The patient will be discharged with advice for 14 days home quarantine, when a test shows negative result.
In case a patient does recover within 14 days since the first sample collection date, he/she will continue to be treated in the COVID Hospital without re-test. The patient will be subject to re-test only after he/she recovers clinically. In this case, the revised guidelines stated that the patient will be discharged with advice for home quarantine for 14 days if the re-test result is negative.
Further, the advisory stated that during discharge, advice on wearing mask, social distancing, hand hygiene and respiratory etiquette will be given.
As per revised guidelines, discharged patients who develop symptoms of fever, cough or breathing difficulty, have been advised to call the State helpline 18003450019 or contact local health authority. His/her health will again be followed up, it added.
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