Changed discharge criteria triggers rise in Covid-19 recoveries
Total recovery was 177 during March 8-May 2; the number reached 1,063 on May 3
Some 2,414 people have recovered from Covid-19 till now. The number of recoveries is increasing every day for changes in the guidelines to discharge coronavirus patients from hospitals.
According to the health directorate, the figure for recovery was 177 between March 8 and May 2. On May 3, the total number of recovered patients reached 1,063 with a whopping 886 new recovered cases in the span of a day.
In an online briefing on May 3, Nasima Sultana, additional director general of the health directorate, said, "The clinical management committee has made new guidelines that set criteria for when we can say a patient recovered after he or she receives treatment."
As per previous guidelines, the sample of a coronavirus patient would be tested again after 14 days. If it came negative, seven days later, another test would be done. If results again returned negative, the patient would once again be tested within the next 24 or 72 hours. And if the result was still negative, that patient would be declared recovered and discharged from hospital. The individual would also be advised to stay in home quarantine for three weeks.
The changes have come in those guidelines. Prof Khan Abul Kalam Azad, principal of Dhaka Medical College and also a member of the clinical management committee, told The Business Standard, "We have made the discharge criteria a little bit updated. Because we need a practical working policy in line with the practical situation."
If a patient does not have fever, cough or respiratory problem for three consecutive days and if they test negative in the PCR test, they will be released and sent back home to stay in isolation, he pointed out.
If the PCR test cannot be done in hospitals, it will be carried out on them at home to confirm that they are free of coronavirus, he added.
"We have done this modification as we have a limited number of beds in hospitals against a large number of coronavirus patients. So far, we have seen hospital beds full of patients with mild symptoms. Many have got admitted to hospitals with no cough and fever only out of fears. We have some critical patients. So changes have been brought in the guidelines to make room for them," Prof Abul Kalam said.
When asked about if the discharged patients can be called recovered, he said, "A coronavirus patient's fever, cold and cough stay only for four to five days. As not exhibiting those for three consecutive days is our discharge criteria, the total hospital stay becomes seven to eight days."
The virus no longer stays after eight days go past. So, a recovered patient cannot be called sick. But returning home, the patient has to be very careful, Prof Abul Kalam added.
On May 5, Dr M Aminul Islam, director (hospital and clinic) at the health directorate, sent a notice to all hospitals, containing the discharge criteria for Covid-19 patients.
Till Saturday, 370 Covid-19 patients have recovered in the capital's Kuwait Bangladesh Friendship Hospital, 403 in Kurmitola Hospital, 10 in Infectious Diseases Hospital, 66 in Dhaka Mohanagar General Hospital, 23 in Regent Hospital, 51 in Sajeda Foundation Hospital, 94 in Rajarbag Central Police Hospital, 20 in Mirpur Lalkuthi Hospital, 138 in Mugdha Medical College Hospital and 56 in Dhaka Medical College Burn Unit, according to the health directorate.
Besides, the number of recovered cases is 94 in Combined Military Hospital, 663 in Dhaka division, 143 in Chattogram division, eight in Rajshahi division, nine in Khulna division, 74 in Barishal division, seven in Sylhet division, 136 in Mymensingh division and 49 in Rangpur division.
