New Delhi: The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has released new guidelines to access which patient from the hotspot areas of coronavirus COVID-19 will be given the test. The number of infections saw a jump by 991 and as many as 43 deaths were reported in the last 24 hours. Also, the recovery rate saw its highest spike on Saturday (April 18, 2020). Maharashtra continues to remain the worst affected state followed by Delhi.
Who will be tested for COVID-19
– Those who are symptomatic and have come from abroad within the last 14 days
– People who came in contact with a COVID-19 infected patient will be tested if they are symptomatic
– All symptomatic health care workers
– All patients with severe acute respiratory illness
– Test of asymptomatic contacts of COVID-19 infected patient on their fifth and fourteenth day of contact
Who will be tested from the hotspots zones
People with ILI (Influenza like illness- cold, cough, fever) then RT-PCR test will be done, if the test is positive that means they are infected. If the test is negative that means they are not infected but need to take all precautionary measures.
After seven days a Rapid Antibody Test will be conducted. If that turns up positive, then the person will be put in quarantine for seven days, if sypmptoms also begin to show then they will be hospitalised. If there are symptoms of coronavirus then too the person will be sent to seven days of quarantine even if the test is negative. It is necessary to get RT-PCR tests when a person starts showing coronavirus symptoms.
Meanwhile, the number of active COVID-19 cases stood at 14,378 which includes 11,906 active cases, 1,991 cured and discharged cases and 480 deaths, as per the Ministry of Health data on Saturday morning.
Bureau Report
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