Migrants with ILI signs to be tested within 7 days

NEW DELHI: Given the spurt in COVID-19 cases and states raising concern about the influx of migrant returnees, who are adding to the number of positive cases, the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has on Monday changed the testing protocols for the fifth time.

As per the changed norms, returnees and migrants who how symptoms for influenza-like illness (ILI) will be tested for Coronavirus infection within seven days of ailment and no emergency clinical procedure, including deliveries, should be delayed for lack of testing. In its revised strategy for Coronavirus testing, the ICMR also added that all hospitalised patients who develop symptoms for ILI and frontline workers involved in containment and mitigation of COVID-19 having such signs will also be tested for Coronavirus infection through RT-PCR test.

Besides, symptomatic direct and high-risk contacts of a confirmed case are to be tested once between day five and day 10 of coming in contact, the new document stated. Asymptomatic contacts of a confirmed case were being tested once between day five and day 14. Till now, people with ILI symptoms living within hotspots or containment zones, patients of SARI and symptomatic health- care workers were being tested for COVID-19 infection as per the guidelines. As per the ICMR guide- lines, ILI case is defined as one with acute respiratory infection with fever more than or equal to 38 degrees Celsius and cough while a SARI case is defined as one with acute respiratory infection with fever more than or equal to 38 degrees Celsius and cough and requiring hospitalisation.