The Union ministry of health and family weal on Tuesday said Covid-19 testing in numerous countries and Union homes (UT) was on a decline and asked the authorities concerned to “ pay immediate attention” to the issue and increase testing in a “ strategic manner” In a letter, fresh clerk in the ministry Arti Ahuja said this was needed keeping in view the trend of case positivity in specific topographies within the countries and UTS.
The functionary said that testing remained a pivotal element in the epidemic operation frame across the country. “ Still, it’s seen from the data available on the ICMR gate that testing has declined in numerous countries and Union homes,” she said Please note that in all advisories on testing issued by ICMR, including the rearmost premonitory dated 10 January, 2022, the introductory ideal remains early discovery of cases for quick insulation and care,” she added.
The letter said testing remained a “ crucial strategy” for epidemic operation due to two reasons, the first being identification of new clusters and new hotspots of cases that could grease action to be taken similar as setting up of constraint zones, contact dogging, quarantining, insulation and following up This can enable the state and quarter administration to check the spread of infection,” the letter said.
The other reason was to insure reduction in mortality and morbidity, the ministry said. “ Progression of complaint to a severe order can be prevented by strategic testing of those who are at high threat and more vulnerable, as well as in areas where the spread is likely to be advanced,” it said.
The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), in its rearmost advisory on January 10 regarding Covid testing, said all characteristic individualities and the‘at- threat’ connections of those who had tested Covid positive must be tested for the complaint. Cough, fever, sore throat, loss of taste and/ or smell, breathlessness and/ or other respiratory issues were some of the symptoms listed by the council. This advisory was reiterated by the ministry in its letter.
The ministry also stressed its former advisories in which it had recommended that “ strategic and focused testing should be done of people who are vulnerable, living in unrestricted surroundings, in densely peopled areas in arising new clusters and new hot spots of positive cases etc” In order to insure that an effective track of the spread of the epidemic is kept and also immediate citizen centric action is initiated, it’s peremptory upon all countries/ UTs to enhance testing,” the ministry said
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