Evidence doesn't indicate COVID-19 transmission risk from people discharged on revised criteria:Govt
New Delhi: Dispelling apprehensions that mild and moderate COVID-19 patients could transmit the disease if not tested before being discharged, the Union health ministry said available evidence does not indicate any increase in risk of the infection's transmission in such cases.
Such patients after being discharged will also follow home isolation for further seven days, the ministry said in its Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) on the Revised Discharge Policy.
The ministry on May 9 issued the new discharge policy according to which coronavirus infected patients developing severe illness or having compromised immunity will have to test negative through RT-PCR test before they are discharged by a hospital.
For moderate cases of COVID-19 and pre-symptomatic, mild and very mild cases, it said, they need not undergo tests before being discharged after the resolution of symptoms.
"Available evidence does not indicate any increase in the risk of transmission from patients discharged based on the revised discharge criteria.The revised criterion also specifies that such patients will follow home isolation for a further seven days," the ministry said in reply to the FAQs.
Mild, very mild and pre-symptomatic patients admitted to a COVID care facility can be discharged after 10 days of symptom onset and no fever for three days, according to the policy.
Patients clinically classified as moderate cases will be discharged after 10 days of symptom onset in case of absence of fever without antipyretics, resolution of breathlessness and no oxygen requirement, it said.
But in the both the cases severe cases, and moderate, mild and pre-symptomatic cases-- the patient after being discharged will have to follow home isolation for further seven days, the policy said.
Responding to a question over why the discharge policy was changed, the ministry said several countries have changed the criteria for discharge from 'test-based strategy to 'symptom-based strategy' or 'time-based 'strategy.
"A review of ICMR laboratory surveillance data also indicated that after initial RT-PCR positive results, patients became negative after a median duration of 10 days," it said.
Recent studies have also suggested that the viral load peaks in the pre-symptomatic period two days before symptoms -- and goes down over the next seven days.
"Being cured of a disease may have different connotations for the general public, treating doctors and the virologists. Unless there is a fear of resurgence of the infection and subsequent transmissibility of an infection, resolution of clinical manifestation is usually taken as an evidence for cure," the ministry said.
Responding to a question over what precautions the patient should undertake during home isolation, it said the provision for home isolation of pre-symptomatic, very mild, mild confirmed cases of COVID-19 has been made, provided that such patients are assessed to be eligible for the same in terms of their clinical status and feasibility to successfully isolate in home environment settings .
This should be done after signing a self-declaration form by the patient, it said.
Such patients, with no co-morbidities, should at all times use triple layered medical masks, the ministry said.
Patient must stay in the identified room and away from other people at home, especially elderlies and those with co-morbid conditions like hypertension, cardiovascular disease and renal disease, it said.
They should maintain strict personal hygiene and self-monitor their health with daily temperature monitoring and report promptly if they develop any deterioration of symptom, it said in the FAQs.
Over the need to get tested after the home isolation period is over, the ministry said as per the latest revised discharge policy, there is no need for testing prior to discharge of all pre-symptomatic, very mild or mild confirmed cases of COVID-19 after 10 days of symptom onset and no fever for three days.
"Therefore it stands to reason, that no testing is also needed for patients undergoing home isolation (pre-symptomatic/very mild/mild confirmed cases) after the home isolation period is over," it said.
The earlier criteria for discharging RT- PCR positive were chest radiograph has cleared and two consecutive negative test results on RT-PCR, the ministry stated.
The death toll due to COVID-19 rose to 2,206 and the number of cases climbed to 67,152 on Monday, according to Health Ministry.
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SC stays CBI probe into West Bengal govt officials' role in teacher recruitment scam
New Delhi, Apr 29: The Supreme Court on Monday stayed a Calcutta High Court order directing the CBI to probe the role of West Bengal government officials in a teacher recruitment scam. It, however, refused to stay for now the cancellation of the appointment of over 25,000 teachers and non-teaching staff.
The top court was hearing a plea by the West Bengal government against a high court order invalidating the appointment of 25,753 teachers and non-teaching staff made by the School Service Commission (SSC) in state-run and state-aided schools.
A bench of Chief Justice DY Chandrachud, Justice JB Pardiwala and Justice Manoj Misra, however, refused to stay the high court order cancelling the appointments and said it will hear the matter on May 6.
Observing that taking away the jobs of about 25,000 persons is a serious matter, the top court asked if it is possible to segregate the valid and invalid appointments on the basis of the material available and who the beneficiaries of the fraud are.
"We will stay the direction which says the CBI (Central Bureau of Investigation) will undertake further investigation against officials in the state government," the bench said.
Calcutta High Court had said the CBI would undertake further investigations with regard to the persons in the state government involved in approving the creation of supernumerary posts to accommodate illegal appointments.
If necessary, the CBI will undertake custodial interrogation of such persons involved, it had said.
Challenging the order, the state government, in its appeal filed before the top court, said the high court cancelled the appointments "arbitrarily".
"The high court failed to appreciate the ramification of cancelling the entire selection process, leading to straightaway termination of teaching and non-teaching staff from service with immediate effect, without giving sufficient time to the petitioner state to deal with such an exigency, rendering the education system at a standstill," the plea said.
Calcutta High Court last week declared the selection process as "null and void" and directed the CBI to probe the appointment process. It also asked the central agency to submit a report within three months.
"All appointments granted in the selection processes involved being violative of articles 14 and 16 of the Constitution of India, are declared null and void and cancelled," the high court said in its April 22 order.
The high court said those appointed outside the officially available 24,640 vacancies, appointed after the expiry of the official date of recruitment, and those who submitted blank Optical Mark Recognition (OMR) sheets but obtained appointment to return all remunerations and benefits received by them with 12 per cent interest per annum within four weeks.
Observing that it had given "anxious consideration to the passionate plea" that persons who obtained the appointments legally would be prejudiced if the entire selection process was cancelled, the bench said it hardly had any choice left.
The high court held that all appointments involved were violative of articles 14 (equality before law) and 16 (prohibiting discrimination in employment in any government office) of the Constitution.
"It is shocking that, at the level of the cabinet of the state government, a decision is taken to protect employment obtained fraudulently in a selection process conducted by SSC for state-funded schools, knowing fully well that, such appointments were obtained beyond the panel and after expiry of the panel, at the bare minimum," the high court had said.
It said unless "there is a deep connection between the persons perpetuating the fraud and the beneficiaries" with persons involved in the decision-making process, such action to create supernumerary posts to protect illegal appointments is "inconceivable".
The division bench had also rejected a prayer by some appellants, including the SSC, for a stay on the order and asked the commission to initiate a fresh appointment process within a fortnight from the date of the results of the ongoing Lok Sabha elections.
The bench, constituted by the high court chief justice on a direction of the Supreme Court, had heard 350 petitions and appeals relating to the selection of candidates for appointment by the SSC in the categories of teachers of classes 9, 10, 11 and 12 and group-C and D staffers through the SLST-2016.
In its 282-page judgment, the high court had said retaining appointees selected through "such a dubious process" would be contrary to public interest.
