THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Going by the emerging scenario, fever will no longer be considered a primary symptom of Covid-19. Only those with mild sore throat, cough, rhinitis or diarrhoea will be included in category A. Secondly, a person, who has travelled to a locality where active Covid-19 community spread is suspected or clustering of confirmed Covid-19 cases is detected in the last 14 days, will be considered a ‘high-risk contact’ and will have to undergo 28 days of home quarantine.
The decisions were taken by the nCorona virus Outbreak Control and Prevention State Cell and changes were made to its revised guidelines for testing, quarantine, hospital admission and discharge of Covid19 patients that was released on March 12. People with high-grade fever, severe sore throat or cough will be included under category B, while those with breathlessness, chest pain, drowsiness, fall in blood pressure, children with influenza-like illness with red flag signs, worsening of underlying chronic conditions and others are included in category C.
“The state expert committee and the state medical board also pressed for making necessary changes to the state’s guidelines taking into account the revised norms of the Indian Council of Medical Research,” said an officer of the health department. The officer said one of the major changes made was to consider local transmission and community transmission as a serious threat to Covid-19 prevention and control activities.
As per the modification to the testing process, symptomatic contacts of laboratory-confirmed cases, all hospitalised patients with acute respiratory illness, all symptomatic healthcare workers who have taken care of Covid-19 patients and all symptomatic ones who have attended mass gatherings, festivals, funerals and others in the past 14 days where people from abroad are likely to have attended will undergo testing.