Question: Amid rising cases of which of the following disease, the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) issued new guidelines on Purposive Testing Strategy?
a) Covid-19
b) AIDS
c) Dengue
d) TB
Answer: (a)
Related Facts:-
- The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) issued new guidelines on Purposive Testing Strategy, amid rising cases of covid-19 cases.
- ICMR issued 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 are not required to be tested unless identified as high-risk individuals based on co-morbidities or age.
- It also mentioned that at-risk contacts of patients would be person aged above 60 years and individuals with co-morbidities such as chronic lung or kidney disease, diabetes, hypertension, malignancy and obesity.
- People undertaking “inter-state domestic travel is also not required to get tested.
- People need to be tested In community settings:
- Symptomatic individuals.
- At-risk contacts (elderly and individual with co-morbidity) of laboratory confirmed cases.
- Individuals undertaking international travel.
- International travelers arriving at Indian airports or sea-ports or ports of entries.
- Guidelines for the hospital settings:
- Testing may be undertaken as per discretion of the treating doctor.
- Emergency procedure (surgeries, deliveries etc) should not be delayed for lack of a test.
- Patients should not be referred to other facilities, in case there is lack of testing facility.
- Asymptomatic patients undergoing surgical or non-surgical invasive procedures or pregnant women in or near labour should not be tested unless symptoms develop.
By – Rajesh Tripathi
Links:-
https://www.icmr.gov.in/pdf/covid/strategy/Advisory_COVID_Testing_10012022.pdf