COLOMBO -The Health Ministry, based on growing evidence and global recommendations, has revised the criteria for discharging confirmed Covid-19 patients.
Accordingly, patients who remain asymptomatic for 14 days since the diagnostic test are discharged without a subsequent PCR test.
In addition, mildly symptomatic patients, absent of fever and respiratory symptoms (cough, sore throat, SOB) are also being discharged after 14 days from onset illness or point of positive PCR test.
The Government Medical Officers’ Association (GMOA), however, cautioned against discharging patients without being referring to a PCR test following the quarantine period.
The Health Ministry, on October 30, instructed all heads of institutions of designated Covid-19 treatment facilities and technical heads of designated laboratories to make necessary arrangements according to the Circular.
“At present, discharge of Covid-19 patients from hospitals requires a combination of SARS-CoV-2 PCR ± antibody testing. This, however, may lead to practical difficulties in the future if the current trend in Covid-19 caseload continues, overwhelming laboratory and hospital capacities. Furthermore, most individuals, despite being non-infectious, continue to test positive for Covid-19 by PCR and also take longer to develop antibodies, resulting in prolonged hospital stay which can negatively influence the patient as well as the healthcare delivery system.”
Prof. Neelika Malavige of Department of Microbiology at the Faculty of Medical Sciences in Sri Jayewardenepura University, speaking to Ada Derana, said an asymptomatic or a mildly symptomatic patient can spread the infection for up to 7 days after showing the symptoms.
In other countries, such patients are released from quarantine centres after 7 to 10 days without further tests, however, Sri Lanka is discharging them after 14 days as a precautionary measure, she explained.