Army Chief on criteria for treating asymptomatic COVID patients at home

The criteria for the decision to treat asymptomatic COVID-19 patients at their own homes will be issued in the coming weekend, Head of the National Operation Centre for Prevention of COVID-19 Outbreak (NOCPCO) Army Commander General Shavendra Silva said.

Joining the TV Derana breakfast show ‘Derana Aruna’ today (May 17), the Army Commander said the President directed the Director-General of Health Services to compile a criterion for asymptomatic COVID-19 patients to be treated at home.

However, this does not mean that every patient will be able to remain home, he said.

General Silva stated that there are three methods; patients with severe illness will be treated at hospitals, non-critical patients at intermediate care centers, and asymptomatic patients can remain at home under medical advice.

However, the decision to whether or not to remain at will be taken by doctors, he added.

The Army Chief further said that if a patient does not have the facilities to remain at home, treatment centers will be available for them.

Meanwhile, a decision has been taken to send COVID-19 patients to the treatment centers closest to their residence, the Ministry of Health stated.