Updated: Share Article AAA Patients with very mild, mild and moderate COVID-19 need not be tested prior to discharge, according to the Directorate of Public Health (DPH) and Preventive Medicine. In an official communication to the directors of Medical Education, Medical and Rural Health Services and president of Indian Medical Association, Tamil Nadu, T.S. Selvavinayagam, Director of Public Health, said that as per the comprehensive guidelines for management of COVID-19 issued by the State government, there was no need for testing prior to discharge of patients. However, the directorate received reports that despite the clear order, certain hospitals and authorities were carrying out RT-PCR tests for deciding the discharge of patients with COVID-19.