At time of hospital discharge, no RT-PCR test is required: Guidelines 

The Centre and health experts may have been asking States and Union territories to increase the number of RT-PCR tests to at least 70 per cent of all Covid-19 tests being conducted, the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), in its new testing guideline issued on Tuesday, has talked about reducing such tests to take the load off the existing 2,506 laboratories.

As per the ICMR guidelines, no test has to be conducted  if an  individual has tested positive by rapid antigen test, or by RT-PCR tests or has tested positive once by RT-PCR test or if a person has completed 10 days home isolation period with no fever for the last three days.

Also at the time of hospital discharge, no RT-PCR test will be required.

The revised guidelines came after the ICMR scientists found that with a sudden spike in the number of RT-PCR tests, the laboratories, which during normal times at a national level, can test close to 15 lakh tests, were overburdened.

It is taking over 72 hours to process one RT-PCR test now, noted the ICMR. The problem has been compounded because lab staff are also testing positive and going off duty.

The ICMR said, “At present, the laboratories are facing challenges to meet the expected testing target due to extraordinary case load and staff getting infected with Covid-19. In view of this situation, it is imperative to optimise the RT-PCR testing and simultaneously increase the access and availability of testing to all citizens of the country.”

To help the exhausted labs, the ICMR is now suggesting Rapid Antigen Test (RAT) for mass detection. It said the RAT should be allowed in Government and private healthcare facilities across the country in cities, towns, schools, colleges, and community centres. The ICMR also suggested creating drive-through RAT facilities.

Individuals with symptoms identified negative by rapid antigen testing should be linked with RT-PCR test facility, should go for the test, said the ICMR while making it mandatory to enter the information of vaccination status in the testing form for RAT or RT-PCR.

“This information is of critical importance,” the ICMR said. This comes in the wake of people testing positive after one or both doses of the vaccines.