With the revised guidelines for coronavirus testing issued by Union Health Ministry, the Government Medical College Srinagar today started coronavirus testing of people with flu symptoms but no travel history.
Two samples were taken today from patients complaining severe acute respiratory infection (SARI) at Government Medical College Srinagar. Both of them had no travel history.
The samples, Dr Saleem Khan, head department of social and preventive medicine and nodal officer for covid-19 response, said were taken as per the revised guidelines of Indian Council of Medical Research, issued on Saturday. “We have been directed to include patients hospitalized with SARI and we have started that,” he said.
In addition to these, one more sample was taken at SMHS Hospital today, he said. At Chest Diseases Hospital, seven samples were taken today and the reports were awaited when this news was filed late in the evening. Two samples have tested negative for COVID19, Dr Khan said.
At Sher-e-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences (SKIMS), three samples have tested negative for covid-19, while no new patient was admitted today.
“All our samples from yesterday have tested negative. No reports are awaited now,” Dr Farooq Jan, medical superintendent SKIMS said.
He said that 18 people were admitted in the quarantine facility of the hospital while one patient was admitted to isolation ward.
SKIMS, he said, had not yet started testing patients with SARI.
The criteria of SARI has been included by ICMR to check for community transmission of COVID19. ICMR has directed all its designated COVID19 labs to collect random samples of people with SARI to evaluate community transmission in India.
Meanwhile, J&K Government today informed that 3938 travelers and persons in contact with suspected cases have been put under surveillance and, so far, only four cases have tested positive in Jammu and Kashmir.
