ICMR issues revised testing strategy
| Date :19-May-2020 |
NEW DELHI,
Returnees, migrants with influenza-like illness symptoms will be tested in 7 days
REVISING its strategy for COVID19 testing, ICMR said on Monday that returnees and migrants who show symptoms for influenzalike illness will be tested for coronavirus infection within seven days of ailment and stressed that no emergency clinical procedure, including deliveries, should be delayed for lack of testing. The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) in its revised strategy for coronavirus testing in India also added that all hospitalised patients who develop symptoms for influenza-like illness (ILI) and frontline workers involved in containment and mitigation of COVID-19 having such signs will also be tested for coronavirus infection through RT-PCR test.
Besides, asymptomatic direct and high-risk contacts of a confirmed case are to be tested once between day five and day 10 of coming in contact, the new document stated. Asymptomatic contacts of a confirmed case were being tested once between day five and day 14. An official said, “ICMR revised its strategy in view of a spurt in coronavirus cases in the country.
The new strategy aims to contain the spread of infection more effectively and to provide reliable diagnosis to all individuals meeting the inclusion criteria of COVID-19 testing.” “ILI case is defined as one with acute respiratory infection with fever more than or equal to 38 degrees Celsius and cough while a SARI case is defined as one with acute respiratory infection with fever more than or equal to 38 degrees Celsius and cough and requiring hospitalisation,” the ICMR stated.