ICMR RELEASES GUIDELINES OMICRON

ICMR RELEASES GUIDELINES OMICRON

Context:

As of 11 January 2022, due to the rise of Covid-19 cases and its highly contagious Omicron variant, the Indian Medical Research Council (ICMR) has released new guidelines on who should be tested for the virus should not.

Key Points:

• People with no symptoms and the contacts of Covid patients do not need to be tested unless they are identified as “high-risk individuals”.
• ICMR Advisory on Purposive Testing Strategy for Covid-19 also indicated that the most at risk would be those over the age of 60 and people.
• Individuals with diabetes-related pulmonary disease or kidney disease, high blood pressure, chronic obstructive degeneration, and obesity must be tested.
• It also said that people who make interstate domestic travel should not be tested.

Here are some detailed guidelines

People who need to be tested:

• Individuals with symptoms such as sore throat, cough, fever, loss of taste and/or smell, shortness of breath, and other respiratory symptoms.
• At-risk contacts of laboratory-confirmed cases: Those most at risk are older people over 60 years old and people with comorbidities such as diabetes, chronic lung or kidney disease, serious illness, high blood pressure, obesity, etc.
• People are travelling internationally (according to specific country requirements).
• According to the prescribed guidelines, international travellers arrive at Indian airports/seaports/ports of entry.