Order re Strategy for COVID19 testing Dt 18th May 2020

INDIAN COUNCIL OF MEDICAL RESEARCH

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH RESEARCH 

Strategy for COVID19 testing in India (Version 5, dated 18/05/2020)

1. All symptomatic (ILI symptoms) individuals with history of international travel in the last 14 days. 
2. All symptomatic (ILI symptoms) contacts of laboratory confirmed cases. 
3. All symptomatic (ILI symptoms) health care workers / frontline workers involved in containment and mitigation of COVID19. 
4. All patients of Severe Acute Respiratory Infection (SARI). 
5. Asymptomatic direct and high-risk contacts of a confirmed case to be tested once between day 5 and day 10 of coming into contact. 
6. All symptomatic ILI within hotspots/containment zones. 
7. All hospitalised patients who develop ILI symptoms.
8. All symptomatic ILI among returnees and migrants within 7 days of illness. 
9. No emergency procedure (including deliveries) should be delayed for lack of test. However, sample can be sent for testing if indicated as above (1-8), simultaneously. 

NB: 

• ILI case is defined as one with acute respiratory infection with fever ≥ 38◦C AND cough. 
• SARI case is defined as one with acute respiratory infection with fever ≥ 38◦C AND cough AND requiring hospitalization. 
• All testing in the above categories is recommended by real time RT-PCR test only. 
• All changes incorporated in these guidelines as compared to the previous version have been indicated in bold.