VIJAYAWADA: The State-level technical committee, appointed for COVID-19 management, has advised that the people living in quarantine centres in the State can be discharged after 18 days following due verification of symptoms and testing. The samples of those in quarantine centres will be taken on 13th/14th day of their quarantine and the testing will be done using Reverse Transcription Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT PCR) method.
There are about 5,800 people staying in 338 quarantine facilities across the 13 districts in Andhra Pradesh, according to the State nodal office. Those with symptoms will be tested on a priority and sent for individual RT PCR test. Those who develop symptoms before the 14th day shall also be subjected to individual swab test (PCR). Asymptomatic people’s samples will be tested using pooling method.
The test results will be obtained on 16th/17th day and if anybody tests positive, treatment will be given and necessary contact tracing will happen within the quarantine centre. Those who tested negative will duly be discharged on the 18th day after verification. “Invariably, all discharged people shall be advised 14-day home quarantine and self-observation for any kind of COVID-19 symptoms, which should be intimated to the surveillance teams during house-to-house visits,” Special Chief Secretary (Health) KS Jawahar Reddy said in an order issued on Sunday.
Meanwhile, the health department has also issued guidelines for shifting symptomatic and asymptomatic people over and above 60 years to state and district hospitals. All the 60 years and above people, who tested positive in RT PCR test, with or without symptoms and with or without co-morbities, will be moved to state COVID hospitals. Symptomatic people between 40 and 60 years and whose samples emerge positive in RT PCR tests, will be tested for co-morbidities or other ailing conditions.
If tests are normal, they will be moved to district COVID hospitals. If positive, they will be shifted to State COVID hospital.All the other age groups, whose samples emerge positive in RT PCT test, with or without symptoms and with or without co-morbidites and who don’t require oxygen supplementation, will be moved to district hospitals, KS Jawahar Reddy said.
Process to be followed
Samples of those in quarantine centres will be taken on 13th/14th day and testing will be done using RT PCR method
Test results will be obtained on 16th/17th day and if anybody tests positive, treatment will be given
Those who tested negative will be discharged on 18th day
All discharged shall be advised 14-day home quarantine
5,800 people staying in 338 quarantine facilities across 13 districts