ICMR revises Covid-19 guidelines for Covid-19 Testing, Know who needs to get tested and who doesn't
The ICMR has issued fresh guidelines regarding testing for Covid-19.
As the cases of Covid-19 and its highly contagious Omicron variant are rising, the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has issued fresh guidelines on who needs to get tested for the infection, and who doesn’t.
As per the guidelines, asymptomatic individuals, and contacts of Covid patients do not need to get tested unless they are identified as “high-risk individuals” as per their age or co-morbidities. The ICMR has issued an Advisory on Purposive Testing Strategy for Covid-19 on January 10, 2022 which also mentioned that at-risk contacts of patients would be those above 60 years of age and individuals with co-morbidities like diabetes, hypertension, chronic lung or kidney disease, malignancy and obesity.
It also stated that people undertaking “inter-state domestic travel” need not get tested.
Advisory on Purposive Testing Strategy for COVID-19 in India (Version VII, dated 10th January 2022) @MoHFW_INDIA @DeptHealthRes @PIB_India @mygovindia @COVIDNewsByMIB #ICMRFIGHTSCOVID19 #IndiaFightsCOVID19 #CoronaUpdatesInIndia #COVID19 #Unite2FightCorona pic.twitter.com/0bFN4R5gZ4
— ICMR (@ICMRDELHI) January 10, 2022
People who need to be tested:
In community settings:
- Symptomatic (cough, fever, sore throat, loss of taste and/or smell, breathlessness and/or other respiratory symptoms) individuals.
- At-risk contacts of laboratory confirmed cases. (At-risk contacts are elderly (above 60 years of age) and individuals with co-morbidity such as diabetes, hypertension, chronic lung or kidney disease, malignancy, obesity, etc.)
- Individuals undertaking international travel (as per country-specific requirements).
- International travelers arriving at Indian airports/seaports/ports of entries as per laid down guidelines.
In hospital settings:
- No emergency procedure (including surgeries and deliveries) should be delayed for lack of a test.
- Patients should not be referred to other facilities for lack of a testing facility. All arrangements should be made to collect and transfer samples to testing facilities, mapped to the health facility.
- Asymptomatic patients undergoing surgical/ non-surgical invasive procedures including pregnant women in/near labour who are hospitalised for delivery should not be tested unless warranted or symptoms develop.
People who need not be tested:
- Asymptomatic individuals in community settings.
- Contacts of confirmed cases of Covid-19 unless identified as high risk based on age or comorbidities.
- Patients who stand discharged as per home isolation guidelines.
- Patients being discharged from a Covid-19 facility as per revised discharge policy.
- Individuals undertaking inter-state domestic travel.
