Karnataka: Covid tests must for people who show ILI, SARI

Bengaluru: The state health department on Wednesday ordered the private medical establishments to conduct COVID tests on all patients with symptoms of influenza-like illness (ILI) and severe acute respiratory infection (SARI).

"All private medical establishments treating ILI/SARI patients are instructed to either test patients for Covid infection if they have in-house testing facility as per testing rates notified by the government or draw swab of such patients for sending them to ICMR approved private or government labs," the order read. The order mentioned that Covid cases are increasing and that symptomatic carriers who have a higher viral load are the major source of the spread.As of now the private medical establishments were asked to enter details of ILI/SARI patients on a health portal.

The health department noted that ILI/SARI patients were sent to swab collection centres in the state for testing. However, in many cases, the patients are not being tested, resulting in late identification of Covid infection and consequently more fatalities.