Karnataka reported 29,438 COVID-19 cases on April 24, including 17,342 cases in Bengaluru. Bengaluru recorded 149 deaths among COVID-19 patients on Saturday.
The Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) which held its 99th meeting on April 24 in Bengaluru, to discuss the recommendations to the Karnataka government on testing for COVID-19, has advised for random testing to be suspended until further notice. The TAC, in its circular to the state government that TNM has accessed, has suggested eight points for testing during the second wave of the pandemic.
The TAC headed by Dr. MK Sudharshan and consisting of experts like Dr. CN Manjunath, Giridhar Babu, Dr. Sudharshan Ballal, Dr. Pradeep Banandur, V Ravi, among others met on Saturday to formulate a set of suggestions for effective testing during the next few weeks when the second wave is expected to peak in Bengaluru.
Currently, even those who do not need to be tested for COVID-19 on an emergency basis are being tested and this is causing a huge delay in the results.
Mandatory testing for everybody who shows not just symptoms of COVID-19 but also ILI and SARI.
All primary contacts of the infected patients including all family members should mandatorily be tested.
Test all pregnant women two weeks before their delivery.
Till further notice, random testing should be stopped for people who display no symptoms.
Carry out sample examination for those who need to undergo emergency surgeries, other treatments, and in the event of suspected COVID-19 related death.
As per the guidelines of the Government of India and Karnataka government, infected patients in hospitals and home quarantines should not be tested on day 10.
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