Karnataka issues fresh discharge policy for COVID-19 survivors; mandates test before discharge

BENGALURU: In a fresh circular issued by the Karnataka Government, a COVID-19 patient can be discharged after 10 days of onset of symptoms only if following criteria are met:

• No fever and symptoms for last 3 days before discharge,
• maintains saturation above 95 percent for last 4 days without oxygen support,
• resolution of breathlessness,
• resolution of clinical signs
• one RT-PCR test shall be done 3 days after being symptom free and the patient has to be discharged if the report is negative.

If positive, the RT-PCR test shall be repeated after 72 hours. 

If the patient is asymptomatic, he shall be discharged after repeat RT-PCR test is performed 7 days after the first test is found to be negative.

In the earlier policy, there had to be two consecutive negative tests 14 days after the first test turned positive for the patient, in order to discharge them. 

Recently, GOI issued guidelines that no test is required before discharge if the person does not exhibhit symptoms for 3 days. However, the state has not followed this and had mandated a test before discharge.

The GOI decision to also home isolate asymptomatic cases has also not been taken up by Karnataka.