Covid evolving, warns Centre

Says only 5-10% cases need hospitalisation, but situation may change rapidly

As the daily count of Covid-19 infections rocketed to

179,723 across the country, nearly an eight-fold rise in a week, the Union health ministry on Monday warned the states and UTs that the situation was “dynamic and evolving” and that the need for hospitalisation may change rapidly.

While the hospitalisation of active cases in the ongoing Covid-19 surge, fuelled by new Omicron variant, has been five to 10 per cent in contrast to the

20-23 per cent in the brutal second wave last year, the ministry advised retired medical professionals or MBBS students could be roped in for teleconsultation services and providing skill training of community volunteers in basic care and management at Covid care centres.

In a fresh set of guidelines on testing of samples, the ICMR has said that contacts of Covid-19 patients do not need to be tested unless identified as high-risk based on age or co-morbidities. The top government body said atrisk contacts of patients will be those above 60 and individuals with co-morbidities like diabetes, hypertension, chronic lung or kidney disease, malignancy and obesity.

The ICMR Advisory on Purposive Testing Strategy for Covid-19 said tests may be undertaken as per the discretion of the treating doctor with certain considerations. It said that asymptomatic patients undergoing surgical or nonsurgical invasive procedures, including pregnant women in/near labour who are hospitalised for delivery, should not be tested unless warranted or unless symptoms develop.

The advisory said testing can be undertaken either through RT-PCR, TrueNat, CBNAAT, CRISPR, RTLAMP, Rapid Molecular Testing Systems or through Rapid Antigen Test.