Hospitals ordered to test all at ‘high risk’

nNEW DELHI: The Delhi government on Sunday made it mandatory for all hospitals to conduct rapid antigen testing on all people with influenza like illness, all patients admitted with severe acute respiratory infection cases, all asymptomatic admitted patients or those falling in the high-risk group seeking admission in their facility.

The order defines high-risk group undergoing chemotherapy, immunosuppressed, suffering from a malignancy, transplant patients and elderly (over 65 years of age) with co-morbidities.

All patients undergoing aerosol generating procedures such as dental procedures will also have to undergo the test, the order says.

“In view of above, medical directors, medical superintendents, directors of all hospitals of Government of NCT of Delhi are directed to ensure that rapid antigen detection testing of all individuals or patients falling in the above categories who visit their hospital is mandatorily done,” read the directive from Delhi government’s health and family welfare department.

The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) on June 17 had issued an advisory to states, recommending antigen based rapid test to be expanded in a big way, especially those with high disease burden.

Tests that detect presence or absence of an antigen in the body are called antigen detection tests. An antigen is a foreign molecule that induces an immune response within the body, especially the production of antibodies, and detecting its presence determines present infection.

Delhi was the first state to roll out antigen based testing in June as Covid-19 cases in the city had seen an unusual surge.