Mandatorily retest all symptomatic RAT -ve cases through RT-PCR: Ministry

New Delhi: The Union Health ministry has asked all states and UTs to mandatorily retest all symptomatic negative cases of Rapid Antigen Tests (RAT) through RT-PCR so that no positive COVID-19 cases are missed in order to curb the spread of the infection.

The ministry has also urged them to urgently establish a monitoring mechanism via a designated officer or team in every district and at the state level for follow up on such cases.

These teams shall analyse details of the Rapid Antigen Tests (RAT) conducted on a daily basis in the districts and states and ensure that there are no delays in retesting of all the symptomatic negative cases.

Meanwhile, the country saw a record single-day spike of 95,735 infections and 1,172 fatalities taking India's COVID-19 caseload past 44 lakh and death toll to 75,062, while recoveries surged to 34,71,783 on Thursday, according to the Union Health ministry data.

The total cases mounted to 44,65,863, the 8 am data showed. The fatality rate has dropped to 1.68 per cent while the recovery rate was at 77.74 per cent.

More than 74 per cent of the total active cases of Covid are in nine most affected states, while 69 per cent of the total deaths reported so far are concentrated in Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Delhi and Andhra Pradesh, the Centre said on Thursday.

The ministry said that 60 per cent of the cumulative cases of COVID-19 have been reported from only five states — Maharashtra (9,67,349), Andhra Pradesh (5,27,512), Tamil Nadu (4,80,524), Karnataka (4,21,730), and Uttar Pradesh (2,85,041).

The ministry said it has noted that in some large states, symptomatic cases tested negative by RAT are not being followed up by RT-PCR testing.

The guidelines of ICMR, as well as the Union Health ministry, clearly state that all symptomatic (with fever, cough or breathlessness) negative cases of RAT and asymptomatic cases of RAT that develop symptoms within two to three days of being tested negative must necessarily be retested through RT-PCR tests.

"In this background, the Union Health ministry and ICMR have jointly written to all the states and UTs and urged them to ensure that all symptomatic negative cases of RAT are mandatorily retested using the RT-PCR test," the Health ministry said.

The ministry said this will also ensure early detection, isolation and hospitalization of such "false" negative cases.