VIJAYAWADA: With people with various Severe Acute Respiratory Illnesses (SARIs) visiting hospitals for treatment, the health department has decided to test them for COVID-19 using Truenat kits to offer accurate treatment. The department has issued standard operating procedure for the same.
Patients with illnesses like acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), acute severe asthma, acute exacerbation of interstitial lung disease, acute exacerbation of bronchiectasis, severe pneumonia / acute respiratory distress syndrome and acute worsening of tuberculosis are considered SARI cases.
“It has come to notice that patients with SARI symptoms are attending government hospitals for treatment in several districts of the State. ln this connection, there is a possibility that such patients may also be COVID positive. To clear doubts, the standard operation procedure is given,” the special chief secretary said.
According to the SOP issued by special chief secretary KS Jawahar Reddy, all the SARI patients who visit Covid, non-Covid and private hospitals for treatment will be isolated first. Basic tests like ECG, chest x-ray, complete blood count, liver function tests, random blood sugar and others would be done, following which TRUENAT / CBNAAT tests must be conducted on them and treatment should be started. If the sample tests positive, RT PCT test would be done, and based on the result, treatment will be given at an appropriate hospital.