ICMR changes testing strategy, now Covid patients’ contacts needn’t get tested unless ‘high-risk’

The new govt advisory states that persons undertaking inter-state domestic travel don't have to get tested & a positive home test is to be considered confirmatory, with no repeat testing.

A health worker takes swab samples for Covid testing in Noida, Uttar Pradesh on 7 January 2022 | Photographer: T. Narayan | Bloomberg

New Delhi: 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 on Purposive Testing Strategy for COVID-19 said individuals undertaking inter-state domestic travel also do not need to get tested.

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 point-of-care test [home or self-test/RAT] and the 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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