Revised guidelines for COVID test issued

Symptomatic persons, at-risk contacts of confirmed cases among those to be tested

January 16, 2022 12:51 am | Updated 12:51 am IST - Chennai

Preparing for the surge:   Those with co-morbidities such as diabetes, hypertension, chronic lung and kidney diseases, malignancy and obesity are to be tested

Preparing for the surge: Those with co-morbidities such as diabetes, hypertension, chronic lung and kidney diseases, malignancy and obesity are to be tested

The Directorate of Public Health and Preventive Medicine issued revised guidelines for COVID-19 testing on Saturday.

Citing the guidelines issued by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), the directorate said in community settings, persons who are symptomatic (cough, fever, sore throat, loss of taste and/or smell, breathlessness and/or other respiratory symptoms), may be tested.

Similarly, at-risk contacts of laboratory confirmed cases, persons aged over 60 and those with co-morbidities such as diabetes, hypertension, chronic lung and kidney disease, malignancy and obesity, individuals undertaking international travel as per country requirement and international travellers arriving at Indian airports/seaports/ports of entries may be tested, T.S. Selvavinayagam, Director of Public Health, said in the circular.

In hospital settings, testing may be undertaken as per the discretion of treating doctors, with the considerations that no emergency procedure, including surgeries and deliveries, should be delayed for the lack of a test.

Patients should not be referred to other facilities for the lack of a testing facility and all arrangements should be made to collect and transfer samples to testing facilities, mapped to the health facility. Asymptomatic patients undergoing surgical or non-surgical invasive procedures, including pregnant women in/near labour, hospitalised for delivery, should not be tested unless warranted or symptoms develop.

Patients admitted in hospitals may not be tested more than once a week.

The directorate outlined details of persons who need not be tested.

They are asymptomatic individuals in community settings; contacts of confirmed cases, unless identified as high risk based on age or co-morbidities; patients who stand discharged as per home isolation guidelines; patients being discharged from a COVID-19 facility as per revised discharge policy and individuals undertaking inter-State domestic travel.

Mr. Selvavinayagam added that the guidelines should be scrupulously followed and unnecessary testing of persons, other than those mentioned in the guidelines should be strictly avoided.

Private hospitals should also be instructed to adhere to the instructions, he told the health officers.

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