Director of Public Health G. Srinivasa Rao has reiterated that RT-PCR tests should be conducted as priority on five categories of out-patients and in-patients in hospitals.
In a communication issued by the senior official on Wednesday, he asked the managements to subject the following categories of patients to RT-PCR test — all patients of Severe Acute Respiratory Infection; all patients with Influenza Like Illness (ILI) symptoms in a hospital setting; asymptomatic high-risk patients who are hospitalised or seeking immediate hospitalization; asymptomatic patients undergoing surgical or non-surgical invasive procedures (not to be tested more than once a week during hospital stay), and pregnant women in labour or near-labour who are hospitalised for delivery.