The Ministry of Health issued new regulations on lifting quarantine for F0 patients being treated at home.

The Ministry of Health has just issued Decision 250/QD-BYT on "Guidelines for diagnosis and treatment of COVID-19", replacing the previously issued guidelines in Decision 4689 dated October 6, 2021 and Decision No. 5666/QD-BYT dated December 12, 2021 of the Minister of Health, on amending and supplementing a number of points of the Guidelines for diagnosis and treatment of COVID-19 issued together with Decision No. 4689/QD-BYT.

Isolating F1 cases at their residence according to inter-family groups and households in Nghi Hoa commune, Nghi Loc district. Photo courtesy of Thanh Son

In this latest Guide, the Ministry of Health has added criteria for lifting quarantine for COVID-19 infected people being treated at home. Specifically:

Asymptomatic or mildly symptomatic COVID-19 patients who are eligible for home isolation and treatment according to regulations will have their isolation and home treatment lifted.

- Quarantine and treatment for 7 days and have a negative rapid test result performed by medical staff or by the patient himself/herself under the supervision of medical staff by at least one of the following forms: directly or indirectly through remote means.

- In case the test result is still positive after 7 days, continue to isolate for 10 days for those who have received full doses of vaccine and 14 days for those who have not received full doses of vaccine.

The medical station where the patient is managed is responsible for confirming the patient's recovery.

Also according to the latest guidelines of the Ministry of Health, there are 5 levels of disease classification for people with COVID-19, in which the Ministry of Health has put the asymptomatic F0 group at the first level.

Accordingly, F0 is classified into this group if there are no clinical symptoms. In addition, respiratory rate < 20 times/minute, SpO2 > 96% when breathing air.

This guideline also provides more specific regulations for cases of COVID-19 patients being treated at admission and treatment facilities as follows:

For COVID-19 patients

- The isolation and treatment period at the admission and treatment facility is at least 5 days, clinical symptoms are reduced, fever is gone (no fever-reducing drugs are used)... 3 days or more before the discharge date and the PCR test result is negative or the virus concentration is low or the rapid test is negative, then the patient can be discharged.

Otherwise, you will have to continue to isolate for 10 days (it is not necessary to retest).

- After being discharged from the hospital, self-monitor your health at home for 7 days, measure your body temperature twice a day. If there are any unusual signs, immediately notify the medical staff and handle them promptly. Follow the 5K message.

For COVID-19 patients with underlying or comorbid diseases

- Isolation and treatment at a quarantine facility, treatment for at least 5 days, after improvement, reduction of many clinical symptoms of COVID-19 and fever-free for 3 days or more and negative PCR test or negative rapid test, then discharged from hospital or transferred to another facility/department to treat concomitant diseases or underlying diseases (if necessary) for continued treatment and monitoring.

- If the PCR test is positive or the rapid test is still positive, continue to quarantine for a full 10 days.

For COVID-19 patients treated in intensive care units recovering from COVID-19, in severe or critical condition due to other diseases

- Quarantined and treated for COVID-19 for at least 14 days and tested negative by PCR or had a low viral concentration that is determined to be sufficient to be cured of COVID-19.

- Transferred to another intensive care facility or appropriate treatment department for continued care and treatment...

According to the old regulations in Decision 4689/QD-BYT, discharge conditions were only stated for cases with no clinical symptoms during the treatment period and cases with clinical symptoms.