Amid a sharp rise in daily coronavirus count in the country, the Centre has issued revised guidelines that no longer require asymptomatic contacts of patients to get tested. The Union Health Ministry also laid down home isolation rules for mild and asymptomatic cases, while cutting the quarantine period after testing positive from at least 10 days to seven.
“Patients under home isolation can end isolation after at least seven days have passed from testing positive and if there is no fever for three days in a row. They will continue to wear masks. There is no need for retesting after the home isolation period is over. Earlier, home isolation ended after 10 days from onset of symptoms,” said the guidelines.
The asymptomatic contacts would not be tested but would be required to monitor their health in home quarantine.
The new guidelines replace those issued on April 29, 2021, under which a patient under home isolation was supposed to be “discharged and end isolation” after “at least 10 days” have passed from the onset of symptoms (or from the date of sampling for asymptomatic cases) and has had “no fever for 3 days”. Besides, all family members and close contacts were required to be “monitored and tested”.
Issuing the revised guidelines on Wednesday, the Health Ministry said, “Over the past two years, it has been seen globally as well as in India that a majority of the cases of Covid-19 are either asymptomatic or have very mild symptoms. Such cases usually recover with minimal intervention and accordingly may be managed at home under proper medical guidance and monitoring.” Continued on Page 2
The revised guidelines identify asymptomatic cases as “laboratory-confirmed cases who are not experiencing any symptoms and have oxygen saturation at room air of more than 93%”. “Clinically assigned mild cases” are defined as “patients with upper respiratory tract symptoms with or without fever, without shortness of breath and with oxygen saturation at room air of more than 93 per cent”.
In the earlier guidelines, the oxygen saturation threshold for both categories of cases was above 94 per cent.
On clinical management of “mild/ asymptomatic cases”, the guidelines say: “The patient should be clinically assigned as a mild/ asymptomatic case by the treating Medical Officer. Further, a designated control room contact number at the district /sub-district level shall be provided to the family to get suitable guidance for undertaking testing, clinical management related guidance, assignment of a hospital bed, if warranted.”
Asymptomatic cases are laboratory-confirmed cases that are not experiencing any symptoms and have oxygen saturation at room air of more than 93 percent. Clinically assigned mild cases are patients with upper respiratory tract symptoms with or without fever, without shortness of breath and having oxygen saturation at room air of more than 93 percent, said the guidelines.