In what is seen as a widening of its testing criteria, the Union Ministry of Health on Friday, 20 March, stated pneumonia patients will also be tested for COVID-19. The Centre notified new rules for hospitals across India to test patients suspected of having coronavirus. These new rules will be in place till 31 March and may be revised.
“No suspected COVID-19 patient should be turned away from any hospital and the admission of any such patient should be notified to NCDC (National Centre for Disease Control) or IDSP (Integrated Disease Surveillance Program) immediately. Similarly, all pneumonia patients must also be notified to NCDC or IDSP so that they can be tested for COVID-19,” the new rules state. Hospitals have also been advised to ensure social distancing on their premises.
The move by the ministry to test pneumonia patients will significantly expand the country’s testing pool, as previously only those who had symptoms of COVID-19 and had a travel history to a coronavirus-affected country were being tested for the disease. Public health experts have been demanding that India widen its testing criteria in order to determine if and whether a community spread of the virus has taken place.
Significantly, however, the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) is yet to issue revised testing guidelines for labs and hospitals.
Meanwhile, the ministry in its advisory has also asked all hospitals to carry out a preparedness drill on Sunday, 22 March.
The ministry has also asked hospitals to make sure there are sufficient numbers of ventilators and high-flow oxygen masks in preparation for future requirements. All hospitals have been asked to ensure that they have adequate trained manpower and resource pools for ventilator/ICU care. “Hospitals may ensure that stable patients are discharged as early as possible while further new admissions (of stable patients) are also restricted. The number of patient attendants should be strictly restricted to ‘one’ only,” the advisory states.
The ICMR in a release on Friday evening stated that a total of 15,404 samples from 14,514 individuals have been tested for SARS-CoV2.
What is Pneumonia?
Pneumonia is a condition affecting the lungs in which the airspaces are inflamed. An individual with pneumonia might have fever and chills, cough, shortness of breath or other breathing difficulties.
Influenza is known to be one of the most common causes of pneumonia. Individuals found to be positive for coronavirus disease many times develop pneumonia, which has been known to be fatal in elderly individuals with COVID-19.
(Published in an arrangement with The News Minute.)
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