Contacts of Covid patients don't need to get tested unless identified as high risk: ICMR

Contacts of confirmed Covid cases do not need to get tested unless identified as "high-risk" based on age or comorbidities, according to a new government advisory.

The ICMR advisory also said individuals undertaking inter-state domestic travels do not need to get tested either.

It said testing can be undertaken either through RT-PCR, TrueNat, CBNAAT, CRISPR, RT-LAMP, Rapid Molecular Testing Systems or through Rapid Antigen Test (RAT).

A positive home or self-test, rapid antigen test and molecular test is to be considered confirmatory without any repeat testing, the advisory said.

Symptomatic individuals, testing negative on home/self-test or RAT should undertake RT-PCR test, it stated.

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It further said that asymptomatic individuals in community setting, people who stand discharged as per home isolation norms and patients "being discharged" from a Covid facility as per revised discharge policy also need not be tested.