Daijiworld Media Network - New Delhi (MS)

New Delhi, May 9: The union health ministry has announced a new discharge policy on Friday, May 8 for coronavirus-infected patients. According to the new policy only Covid-19 patients who develop severe illeness or have compromised their immunity have to get negative in the test though RT-PCR test.

So far the patients were discharged if they tested negative on day 14 and in one more test within 24 hours irrespective of the seriousness of their symptoms.

The policy also states that patients with mild or very mild symptoms need not undergo tests before being discharged after disappearance of the symptoms.

The health ministry, in a statement said, "The new policy is in line with the 3-tier Covid facilities and classification of the patients based on clinical severity."

The number of people died due to the pandemic in the last 24 hours is 1,981, while the total infected are 59,662 said health ministry bulleting. Saturday, also saw a rise of 3,320 cases further to the infected people's list.

The revised policy also states that immuno compromised cases like transplant recipients, HIV patients and those having malgnancy will be discharged based on clinical recovery and of the patient testing negative once through the RT-PCR test.

A patient will be discharged after 10 days of symptom onset if the fever stops within three days and the patient maintains a saturation of 95%. Oxygen saturation is the proportion of oxygen-saturated haemoglobin relative to total hemoglobin in the bloodstream.

The patient has to be in home isolation for one more wee3k after the discharge as per the new guidelines.

If the oxygen saturation level falls below 95% at any given time, then such a patient will be moved to dedicated Covid-19 health care centers. After discharge any patient develops further symptoms of Covid-19, they need to contact the covid care center or state helpline on 1075. Their health will further monitored through tele-conference on day 14.