Hospital discharge does not mean COVID-19 patient has recovered

YRMC explains its protocol for discharging COVID-19 patients to families

YUMA, Ariz. (KECY, KYMA)- Over 700 COVID-19 patients have been discharged from Yuma Regional Medical Center (YRMC) since the start of the pandemic.

However, discharges are not the same as recoveries.

News 11 spoke to the daughter of a local man treated at YRMC with coronavirus who wanted to remain anonymous due to her relationship with the hospital.

She claims her father was hospitalized for COVID-19 earlier this month, but discharged after just four days leaving her mother, who tested negative, to care for her father.

She believes he was still very contagious and symptomatic.

The woman said, “Of course we were very alarmed because [my father] was still coughing awfully. He should’ve stayed in the hospital for at least another five days."

She explained how her father’s condition improved just enough to be discharged but says his symptoms returned within a day of being home; something doctors say is not uncommon.

Dr. Krishna Nimmagadda, M. D. said, “It does happen sometimes, like a patient may be good at the time of discharge and [symptoms] may come back after a few days. It happens once in a while, we’ll tell them to call their PCP or if it’s urgent come back to the emergency room.”

Dr. Nimmagadda cares for COVID-19 patients at YRMC.

He says discharges have nothing to do with bed capacity and confirms the hospital is releasing patients to their families once their symptoms have improved and oxygen levels have stabilized.

Dr. Nimmagadda said, “If they’re stable enough to go home then the treating provider [clears] the patient. Sometimes they can just go home on medications, sometimes they need oxygen, which we arrange if they need it.”

There are families who are concerned and even scared to care for their loved ones who are fighting this contagious virus, especially if they don’t have a background in nursing.

The local woman claims, “[YRMC is] discharging [patients], sending them back home to families who are not prepared with less than a day’s notice.”

Depending on the household, YRMC assigns a case manager for discharged patients to assist with navigating continued care.

At times, the case manager recommends rehab facilities and nursing homes as alternative options to take the burden off of the family.

Susan Pancrazi, YRMC's director case management said, “We work with them via phone and we’re working with the patients and the families. So we find out all of this information, what the needs of the patients are, what's going on in the home.”

YRMC says doctors are following CDC guidelines when discharging patients.

If you think your family member was discharged too early, reach out to your primary doctor.