The Health Ministry says the criteria for discharging confirmed Covid-19 patients has been revised based on growing evidence and global recommendations.

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 Secretary of Government Medical Officers’ Association (GMOA) Dr. Haritha Aluthge, however, cautioned that discharging patients without being referred to a PCR test following the quarantine period could lead to an adverse situation.

He noted that several Covid-19 patients who were listed to be discharged had tested positive on Friday. “If these individuals were released without a PCR test, it could have resulted in the spread of virus infection in the Kegalle district. The effort and time we spent for quarantine procedure would be in vain because we would have released a group of patients back to the society.”

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.