ICMR issues new COVID-19 testing guidelines | Fusion - WeRIndia

Amid the surge of COVID-19 cases in the country, huge queues are visible at COVID-19 testing centres. Besides, it takes three to four days to get an RT-PCR test report.

RT-PCR is one of the most widely accepted tests for COVID-19. As per experts, it will not give false positives. However, there are around 35 per cent chances of getting false negatives. That means, if anyone is tested positive through RT-PCR, he or she is COVID positive, but if they are tested negative, there is a 35% of chances of being false negatives.

The rising number of new COVID-19 cases and COVID suspects is creating a huge burden on the healthcare sector.

In this context, the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) issued an advisory giving new guidelines for COVID-19 testing.

They are as follows:

• If any individual tested positive for COVID-19 either by RAT or RT-PCR, there is no need of repetition of these tests for such individuals.
• Also, those recovered from COVID-19 and discharged from hospitals according to the discharge policy of the Ministry of Health need not repeat these tests.
• In addition to that, individuals who completed home isolation for 10 days with no fever for the last three days also need not go for RT-PCR again.
• ICMR also recommended healthy individuals that they don’t need an RT-PCR test for inter-state domestic travel. As many states mandated this test for inter-state travel, ICMR’s new advisory said that the rule can be removed completely as it would reduce the load on laboratories. And laboratories can provide their services to those who actually needed these tests.
• It advised all asymptomatic individuals to follow COVID appropriate behaviour for essential travel.
• Symptomatic individuals and those who have flu-like symptoms shall avoid non-essential and inter-state travel to reduce the risk of transmission.
• ICMR said that the nationwide test positivity rate was more than 20 per cent.

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