New Delhi: The Health Ministry has advised Random RT-PCR (Real Time Polymerase Chain Reaction) screening of about 2% of international passengers in each incoming flight and genomic sequencing of all positive specimens. The move is aimed at the long-term integration of COVID-19 surveillance within the existing Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme (IDSP) mechanism.
In his letter to state governments, Union Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan asked them to adhere to the ‘Operational Guidelines for Revised Surveillance Strategy in context of COVID-19’ issued by the Centre on June 9.
As per the revised strategy, all healthcare facilities are to report Influenza-Like Illness (ILI) cases, and monitor Severe Acute Respiratory Illness cases in all district hospitals and selected tertiary hospitals and undertake their RT-PCR test for COVID-19. The district surveillance officer will be responsible to analyse the data. “5% of ILI cases shall be tested through RT-PCR,’’ the Health Ministry added.
In addition, revised guidelines also call for sewage and wastewater surveillance which may provide early warnings on the potential local surge of COVID-19, the letter said. State IDSPs are also required to share data on a fortnightly basis and the lab testing for COVID-19 should upload their data on the Indian Council for Medical Research portal.
“Please ensure that the guidelines are disseminated to all districts, and identified health facilities and labs across the State and their implementation shall be ensured,’’ said the letter.
The revised strategy further stressed on community-based surveillance for early detection of unusual events in the community such as large outbreaks, unusual clinical presentation of cases, mortality, etc.
Bhushan said the three-pronged genomic surveillance strategy should be implemented by States and positive samples from large clusters or outbreaks in the community and unusual events should also be sent for whole-genome sequencing.
“I am sure the State governments and UT administrations shall make these guidelines to enable us to retain and build on the gains made so far in this fight against COVID-19,” the letter said.
