Karnataka revises Covid-19 guidelines for testing and home isolation

Bengaluru: The Karnataka government on Wednesday issued new guidelines for the testing and home isolation of Covid-19 patients in the state in line with the central government’s protocols

Bengaluru: The Karnataka government on Wednesday issued new guidelines for the testing and home isolation of Covid-19 patients in the state in line with the central government’s protocols. According to a fresh order, all symptomatic people will be required to undergo a rapid antigen test (RAT) and if the test shows a negative result, it will be followed up by an RT-PCR, as per ICMR protocols.

The primary contacts will also be required to quarantine at home for seven days. (HT File)

All primary contacts of Covid-19 patients will be tested for the infection even if they are asymptomatic and irrespective of their age and comorbidities.

Whoever tests positive for the virus will have to undergo home isolation and will be released after seven days if they have not experienced fever for three preceding days. “There is no need for re-testing after the home isolation period is over,” said the order.

The primary contacts will also be required to quarantine at home for seven days.

Health care workers who show any signs or symptoms of Covid-19 will be tested for the infection. Health care workers who are asymptomatic or exhibiting mild symptoms will have to isolate themselves for five days at home or a hotel.

“If asymptomatic during the preceding three days with oxygen saturation greater than 94% at room air, they will be released from isolation with an advisory to strictly wear a mask or PPE when people are around for the next five days,” said the order.

Their primary contacts will have to undergo home or institutional quarantine for three days and if asymptomatic, may be released thereafter without any testing.

This comes days after the ICMR said that anyone who has come in contact with a Covid-infected patient does not necessarily need to take the Covid-19 test unless the person is in the ‘high-risk’ category based on age or comorbidities.

In the advisory on ‘Purposive Testing Strategy for Covid-19’, ICMR stated that people who need not be tested include “contacts of confirmed cases of Covid-19 unless identified as high risk based on age or comorbidities”.

Besides, asymptomatic individuals in community settings, patients who stand discharged as per home isolation guidelines, patients discharged from a Covid-19 facility as per revised discharge policy and individuals undertaking inter-state domestic travel need not be tested, ICMR has said.

But individuals with cough, fever, sore throat, loss of taste or smell, breathlessness and other respiratory symptoms should be tested, the government body said.