COVID-19: NCDC releases new guidelines on treatment, discharge of patients

The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), on Thursday, announced a new case management guideline for the treatment and discharge of COVID-19 pandemic patients.

Dr. Chikwe Ihekweazu, Director-General of NCDC, made this known at the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 (PTF) media briefing in Abuja.

Ihekweazu said that the third version of the guidelines was released following the emergence of new science about the duration of infectivity of individual patients.

The director-general said that the guidelines were for symptomatic and asymptomatic patients.

According to him, symptomatic patients will now be discharged at least ten days after symptom onset and at least three days without symptoms.

“For asymptomatic patients, they can be discharged 14 days after the first PCR positive test.

“We no longer have to wait for a negative test to discharge, with the confidence that you can go home, and you are no longer infectious or putting family or friends at risk.

“If your symptoms last longer, we will wait while managing it,” Ihekweazu said.

Ihekweazu said that physicians were hesitant about the new guidelines, assuring them that the new guidelines were effective.

The NCDC chief said the centre had also removed the use of antivirals and Chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine from its treatment guidelines.

He said the antivirals would now be used only on trials setting and casually because its safety was uncertain