Revised guidelines for COVID test issued

Symptomatic persons, at-risk contacts of confirmed cases among those to be tested

The Directorate of Public Health and Preventive Medicine issued revised guidelines for COVID-19 testing on Saturday.

Citing the guidelines issued by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), the directorate said in community settings, persons who are symptomatic (cough, fever, sore throat, loss of taste and/or smell, breathlessness and/or other respiratory symptoms), may be tested.

Similarly, at-risk contacts of laboratory confirmed cases, persons aged over 60 and those with co-morbidities such as diabetes, hypertension, chronic lung and kidney disease, malignancy and obesity, individuals undertaking international travel as per country requirement and international travellers arriving at Indian airports/seaports/ports of entries may be tested, T.S. Selvavinayagam, Director of Public Health, said in the circular.