China’s Wuhan city requires 14-day quarantine for discharged coronavirus patients
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Nurses distribute meals to patients at a temporary hospital situated in the Tazihu Gymnasium in Wuhan, China, on Feb 21, 2020.
PHOTO: EPA-EFE
WUHAN (XINHUA, REUTERS) - China's Wuhan city, the epicentre of the novel coronavirus outbreak, has required patients who are discharged from hospital after recovering from the Covid-19 to go on a 14-day quarantine at designated places for medical observation.
The quarantine, free of charge, is for the health and safety of discharged patients and their families, according to a circular released on Saturday (Feb 22) by the city's epidemic prevention and control headquarters.
The announcement came following news of a coronavirus patient initially discharged after recovering in southwestern Sichuan province's Chengdu city, but was readmitted after testing positive during a quarantine period at home
The patient tested positive during a check-up 10 days after being discharged, the city's public health clinical centre said on Friday.
Similar cases have been reported in other regions. The positive result after discharge was likely due to a discrepancy in samples, the state media People's Daily reported late Friday, citing an expert. Official guidelines say patients must test negative for the virus twice, with at least a day between tests, before being discharged.
Hospitals had used nose and throat swabs for such tests before discharging patients, but are now required to use samples from lungs, where the virus is most likely to be detected as it develops, Dr Lei Xuezhong, a doctor working on a treatment for coronavirus-caused pneumonia in Sichuan province told People's Daily.
China's National Health Commission recommends recovered patients monitor their health for 14 days, wear masks and reduce outdoor activities after leaving hospitals due to risks of contracting other pathogens.
