2 negative tests in 24 hours must: Karnataka new discharge policy for Omicron patients

Bengaluru:  Karnataka's Commissionerate for Health and Family Welfare has issued a discharge policy for Omicron variant recovered persons from hospitals and warned that any deviations from the discharge protocol would be viewed seriously, sources said on Friday.

Separate guidelines are specified for mild, moderate, and severe cases.

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The patient can be discharged after 10 days of symptoms' onset if no fever and no symptoms are found in the last three days before discharge and saturation maintained above 95 per cent for the last four consecutive days without oxygen support, the guidelines said.

Patients shall be discharged only after 2 negative RT-PCR reports 24 hours apart three days after complete clinical recovery. If the report is positive, the swab test shall be repeated after 48 hours.

At the time of discharge, the patients shall be advised to quarantine themselves at home and self monitor their health for further seven days. They have to be monitored by a district surveillance officer.

At home, quarantine RT-PCR test is to be repeated at the 6th day of home quarantine. If negative, he/she can be released from home quarantine.

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