BMC issues revised guidelines for COVID-19 testing: Pregnant women likely to deliver in next 5 days to be tested

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation on Wednesday issues revised testing guidelines for COVID-19. According to the new guidelines, the COVID test will not be mandatory for emergency surgery.

Mumbai has been the most affected city, with over 33,800 people testing positive for the virus. On Wednesday alone, a total of 1, 044 new cases were reported in the city.

“MCGM resolves to ramp up testing of symptomatic cases to contain the virus effectively and efficiently,” the circular issued by the civic body mentions.

Testing Guidelines for General Citizens:

According to the statement issued by the BMC, general citizens who fall under the following categories will have to undertake COVID-19 testing:

- All symptomatic persons (fever, cough, difficulty in breathing) within 14 days of international travel

- All symptomatic contacts of confirmed cases

- All symptomatic health care workers

- All hospitalised patients with Severe Acute Respiratory Illness (fever and cough and/or shortness of breath)

- Pregnant women residing in clusters or containment areas or in large migration gatherings/evacuees centre from hotspot districts presenting in labour or likely to deliver in the next five days should be tested even if asymptomatic. (Asymptomatic pregnant women should be tested in the facilities where they were expected to deliver and all arrangements should be made to collect and transfer samples to testing facilities women should not be referred for lack of testing facility.

- All symptomatic patients identified in SARI clinics, Fever clinics, OPD in government or private Hospitals

- Only if there is a strong suspicion of COVID-19 in persons requiring elective surgery or surgery which can wait for 48 hours, the doctor can ask for COVID-19 test. No emergency surgeries should be denied to the patient for want of COVID-19 test.

- For patients on regular hemodialysis, test for COVID-19 should not be asked as a routine before every procedure and only if there is a strong suspicion, the person requiring dialysis is afflicted with COVID-19.

Testing guidelines for quarantined citizens:

- Those quarantined, asymptomatic, direct and high-risk contacts of confirmed cases should be tested once between day 5 and day 14 of coming in his/her contact.

Testing guidelines for admitted Positive Patients

- Testing of mild/very mild /pre-symptomatic cases shall not be required before discharge, if there are no symptoms seen on seventh, eighth and ninth days consecutively.

- In the case of moderate symptomatic patients, testing shall not be required if the patient recovered clinically.

- Testing is required once before discharge in cases of critical Patients and immune-compromised patients when they have no symptoms for three days.