Coronavirus: India To Test All Hospitalised Patients With Similar Symptoms- Here's Who Have To Get Tested Now

All hospitalised patients with severe acute respiratory illness, shortness of breath and having fever and cough will now be tested for COVID-19 infection, according to the new guidelines by Indian Council of Medical Research. ICMR revised its strategy to fight the spread of the new coronavirus on Saturday. It also said that the that the asymptomatic direct and high-risk contacts of a confirmed case should be tested once between day 5 and day 14 of coming in his/her contact.

The apex body for biomedical research revised its strategy in view of the rise in coronavirus cases in the country this week. The coronavirus cases rose to 258 on Saturday in India with fresh cases being reported from various parts of 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.

Till now, all asymptomatic individuals who undertook international travel in the last 14 days and developed symptoms, all symptomatic contacts of laboratory-confirmed cases and all symptomatic health care workers were being tested for the infection.

Here are the people who must be tested under ICMR's latest guidelines include:

1. All hospitalised patients with severe acute respiratory illness, shortness of breath and having fever and cough will now be tested for COVID-19 infection.
2. Anyone who has travelled abroad in the past 14 days and has symptoms like fever, cough, or difficulty in breathing
3. Asymptomatic direct and high-risk contacts of an infected person should be tested between day 5 and day 14 of coming into contact with the infected person.
4. Any health care worker looking after Covid-19 patients who develops symptoms or those who are exposed to a confirmed case
5. Any direct or high-risk contacts — those living in the same house and health care workers who come in contact without proper personal protective equipment – even if they do not have symptoms.

India has so far witnessed cases of COVID-19 mostly related to travel and local transmission from imported cases. Community transmission of the disease has not been documented till now. Once community transmission is documented, the above testing strategy will undergo changes to evolve into stage-appropriate testing strategy, ICMR said. Advisory for testing are being reviewed and updated periodically. The testing strategy is reviewed by the National Task Force constituted by Secretary DHR & DG, ICMR and Chaired by VK Paul, a member of the NITI Aayog.

(With inputs from PTI and ICMR)