THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Staring at a possible scenario of community transmission of Covid-19, the state has decided to expand the ambit of Covid-19 testing.Now, RT-PCR tests will be carried out among all patients with severe acute respiratory illness (SARI), those with influenza-like illness (ILI) from containment zones and all hospitalised patients who develop symptoms of ILI. The testing strategies to be used include RT-PCR, pooled RT-PCR, XPERT and Truenat.
“The Covid-19 scenario in the state is serious. There will be a spike in cases. There is a risk of community transmission which can happen any time. A new approach is needed to decipher the signs early,” said an officer of the Health Department.As per a new guideline issued in this regard, RT-PCR tests have been stipulated for all symptomatic patients who undertook international or interstate travel in the past 14 days, all primary and secondary contacts of laboratory-confirmed cases, all migrant labourers with ILI, all symptomatic (ILI) healthcare workers/frontline workers and others.
Family clusters to undergo testing
The new guideline also stipulates that ILI family clusters (two or more cases) and ILI in high-risk population will have to undergo RT-PCR testing. Follow-up samples (subsequent samples taken from a laboratory-confirmed hospitalised case) and patients coming from containment zones with stroke, multi-vessel/large vessel stroke, Kawasaki-like illness, acute myocardial infarction and others will have to undergo RT-PCR tests.
At the same time, pooled RT-PCR testing will be carried out on all patients posted for elective surgeries, the asymptomatic primary contacts of a laboratory-confirmed Covid-19 case and others. For those undergoing 14-day home quarantine, it has been stipulated that quarantine will be followed by 14 days of observation for symptoms. During the observation period, the persons should avoid all non-essential travel and strictly adhere to use of mask, maintain respiratory hygiene, hand hygiene and others.
RT-PCR tests stipulated for:
Symptomatic persons who undertook international or interstate travel in the past 14 days, contacts of patients, guest workers with influenza like illness
Follow-up samples taken from a Covid-19 patient and people coming from containment zones with stroke and other issues will also be tested