As the number of COVID-19 positive cases surges to 96,169 in India, in a prominent move, the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has announced a revised testing strategy for COVID-19 cases, on Monday. The new guidelines state that high risk and asymptomatic direct cases will be tested between 5 abd 10 days of their exposure to a COVID-19 positive patient. So far, 36,824 patients have recovered and 3,029 are dead due to COVID-19.
As the number of COVID-19 positive cases surges to 96,169 in India, in a prominent move, the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has announced a revised testing strategy for COVID-19 cases, on Monday. The new guidelines state that high risk and asymptomatic direct cases will be tested between 5 abd 10 days of their exposure to a COVID-19 positive patient. So far, 36,824 patients have recovered and 3,029 are dead due to COVID-19.
Revision of testing guidelines by the ICMR
In a bid to stay ahead of the times when migrant workers are travelling from state to state and district to district via Shramik trains, buses and other means of transport, the ICMR has revised the earlier testing guidelines. As per the new guidelines, even the returnees who show no symptoms should be tested within seven days. The Ministry of Home Affairs has included this stipulation while releasing the guidelines for the quarantine of the returning migrants. ICMR scientists are now absent in the health briefings that have been reduced to four days a week.
INDIAN COUNCIL OF MEDICAL RESEARCH
DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH RESEARCH
Strategy for COVID19 testing in India (Version 5, dated 18/05/2020)
1. All symptomatic (ILI symptoms) individuals with history of international travel in the last 24 days.
2. All symptomatic (ILI symptoms) contacts of laboratory confirmed cases.
3. All symptomatic (ILI symptoms) health care workers/frontline workers involved in containment and mitigation of COVID19.
4. All patients with Severe Acute Respiratory Infection (SARI).
5. Asymptomatic direct and high-risk contacts of a confirmed case to be tested once between day 5 and day 16 of coming into contact.
6. All symptomatic JLI within hotspots/containment zones.
7. All hospitalised patients who develop ILI symptoms.
8. All symptomatic ILI among returnees and migrants within 7 days of illness.
9. No emergency procedure (including deliveries) should be delayed due to lack of test kits. However, samples can be sent for testing if indicated as above (1-8), simultaneously.
NB:
1. ILI case is defined as one with acute respiratory infection with fever to 38°C and cough.
2.SARI case is defined as the one with acute respiratory infection with fever > 38°C and cough, requiring hospitalization.
3. All testing in the above categories is recommended by real time RT-PCR test only.
4. All changes incorporated in these guidelines as compared to the previous versions have been indicated in bold.
Testing guidelines expanded by ICMR
THE ICMR had earlier revised its testing strategy on April 9. This strategy released by the ICMR included testing in hotspot/cluster areas within seven days with the RT-PCR method and after seven days with the antibody test. Earlier, the testing was only for people with symptoms with travel history, contact history, SARI patients and asymptomatic people who have high risk contacts.
The ICMR, along with 23 national hospitals, has conducted plasma trials on critical patients all over the country. Population-based sero-survey was also conducted in select districts in collaboration with the State Health Departments. This represents case detection across the country for surveillance. Indigenously developed ELISA-based antibody test kits developed by the ICMR will be used for these tests.
Lockdown extended
Detailed guidelines for the extended lockdown, have been released by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA). The MHA has allowed the State governments and UT's to delineate the red, green and orange zones as per their status taking cognizance of the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare.