State Health Dept issues new norms for hospitals

As per guidelines, while all interstate and international passengers entering TN are being tested, direct asymptomatic contacts and high-risk contacts of a confirmed case need to be tested between Day 5 and Day 10 of coming in contact with the person. All hospitalised patients who develop influenza-like illnesses also need to be tested.

As for asymptomatic patients with COVID-19, they should remain in home isolation ensuring all safety precautions and the quarantine can be terminated and patient discharged after 14 days only if the patient has no fever for 10 consecutive days. Besides, no RT-PCR tests need to be done for termination of home isolation.

While mild cases will be taken care of in COVID Care Centers, these patients too need to be under home quarantine for seven days after discharge. The moderate cases being treated in COVID Health Centres can be discharged if they are asymptomatic for three consecutive days and after 10 days of testing positive. Though the mild and moderate cases need not be tested with RT-PCR kits prior to discharge, in case of severe cases, the test is mandatory after recovery. The severe cases need to be tested prior to discharge after their clinical recovery.

Health Department officials stated that healthcare workers and facilities will be identified in each buffer zone near each containment area to facilitate regular checks on patients in containment zones. According to the Health Department, mild cases are those suspected asymptomatic patients and high-risk negative patients, who include those above 50 and those with comorbidities. Moderate cases are suspected and clinically confirmed cases of COVID-19, while severe cases are the confirmed cases with comorbidities, elderly and those on immuno-suppressant drugs.