NEW DELHI: Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) on Monday, released a new and revised testing strategy which includes testing asymptomatic direct and high-risk contacts once between day 5 and day 10 of coming into contact.
As the number of coronavirus cases in the country crossed the mark of 96000, ICMR gears up to change its testing strategy to detect covid_19 infected as early as possible.
The revised strategy proposes all symptomatic individuals with history of international travel in the last 14 days to be tested. It also says that all symptomatic contacts of laboratory confirmed cases, healthcare workers at the frontline of battle against Covid-19 and patients of Severe Acute Respiatory Infection or SARI to be tested.
According to new strategy, no emergency procedure (including deliveries) should be delayed for the lack of test. But the sample can be sent for testing simultaneously if the person showed symptoms prescribed in the guideline.
As the number of infected frontline workers rises in the country, the ICMR guidelines mention that all the frontline workers involved in
containment and mitigation of COVID19 will also be tested.
Below is the copy of the strategy issued by ICMR
ILI case is defined as one with acute respiratory infection with 38 degree Celsius fever or more than that and cough, whereas SARI(Severe Acute Respiratory Infection) is acute respiratory infection with 38 degree Celsius fever or more than that and the patient requiring hospitalization.
The ICMR also said all testing in the categories mentioned in the guideline, is recommended by real-time RT-PCR test only.