Across India, more than 40 lakh people have been affected by the pandemic.
New Delhi:
All people living in containment zones should be tested using rapid antigen test (RAT) kits, especially in cities that are severely affected by the coronavirus outbreak, noted the main medical body, the Indian Research Council. Medica (ICMR), in its new report. advisory. It has also recommended “tests on demand” for “all persons traveling to other countries or states in India that require a negative COVID-19 test at the point of entry.” States, however, can use their discretion to modify the approach, in accordance with the new notice.
“If a person develops symptoms after a negative RAT (rapid antigen test) test, an RT-PCR test should be performed,” reads the new list of nodal body guidelines: “Advice on strategy for testing for COVID-19 in India “. The new list comes when India, the third country most affected by the pandemic, exceeds 4 million cases of coronavirus.
“100% of people living in containment areas must undergo rapid antigen tests, especially in cities where there has been widespread transmission of the infection,” he stresses.
No emergency procedures (including deliveries) should be delayed due to lack of testing, and pregnant women should not be referred for lack of testing facilities, he further emphasizes.
ICMR is India’s leading body for formulating, coordinating and promoting biomedical research, it is one of the oldest medical research bodies in the world.
In the new notice, the ICMR has also listed measures to prioritize testing methods. “For routine surveillance of containment areas, antigen testing should be the first priority. For routine surveillance of non-containment areas, RT-PCR testing should be the first priority,” the guidelines say of the ICMR.
“For hospital settings, RT-PCR testing should be the first priority. For” on-demand testing, “state governments can decide the modalities,” he says.
Across the country, more than 68,000 have died due to Covid so far. Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka are the worst affected states.
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