<p>The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has widened its <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/tag/coronavirus" target="_blank">COVID-19</a> testing strategy to include all patients with influenza-like symptoms such as fever, cough, sore throat, a runny nose in hotspots and cluster zones of the viral outbreak.</p>.<p>The widening of the scope of testing came against the backdrop of a study carried out by ICMR that showed 40 patients admitted in government hospitals with severe acute respiratory illness (SARI) had tested positive for COVID-19. These 40 patients have had no contact with a COVID-19 positive case or any history of international travel.</p>.<p><strong><a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/national/coronavirus-news-live-updates-lockdown-in-focus-as-indias-tally-goes-past-5800-global-toll-crosses-85000-817763.html" target="_blank">For latest updates and live news on coronavirus, click here</a></strong></p>.<p>The sentinel surveillance carried out by the ICMR covering 5911 patients with SARI symptoms found 104 persons (1.8%), spread across 52 districts in 20 states, to be COVID-19-positive. Out of the 104 positive cases 40 were found to have no contact with COVID-19 patients nor had any travel history. Though the study, in its interpretation and conclusions, does not mention community transmission of COVID-19, the ICMR had commissioned the surveillance to look for community transmission of the virus. </p>.<p>“COVID-19 containment activities need to be targeted in districts reporting COVID-19 cases among SARI patients. Intensifying sentinel surveillance for COVID-19 among SARI patients may be an efficient tool to effectively use resources towards containment and mitigation efforts,” the study said. </p>.<p><a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/national/coronavirus-india-update-state-wise-total-number-of-confirmed-cases-deaths-on-april-11-823937.html" target="_blank"><strong>Track state-wise confirmed coronavirus cases here</strong></a></p>.<p>According to the study, the majority of the SARI patients were tested from Gujarat (792), Tamil Nadu (577), Maharashtra (553) and Kerala (502) with COVID-19 positivity of 1.6%, 0.9%, 3.8% and 0.2%, respectively. </p>.<p>COVID-19 positive SARI patients were detected from eight districts in Maharashtra, six in West Bengal and five each in Tamil Nadu and Delhi. </p>.<p>The median age of Covid-19 positive SARI patients was 54 years, and 85 (83.3%) were males; 83 (81.4%) of the affected patients were more than 40 years of age.</p>
<p>The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has widened its <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/tag/coronavirus" target="_blank">COVID-19</a> testing strategy to include all patients with influenza-like symptoms such as fever, cough, sore throat, a runny nose in hotspots and cluster zones of the viral outbreak.</p>.<p>The widening of the scope of testing came against the backdrop of a study carried out by ICMR that showed 40 patients admitted in government hospitals with severe acute respiratory illness (SARI) had tested positive for COVID-19. These 40 patients have had no contact with a COVID-19 positive case or any history of international travel.</p>.<p><strong><a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/national/coronavirus-news-live-updates-lockdown-in-focus-as-indias-tally-goes-past-5800-global-toll-crosses-85000-817763.html" target="_blank">For latest updates and live news on coronavirus, click here</a></strong></p>.<p>The sentinel surveillance carried out by the ICMR covering 5911 patients with SARI symptoms found 104 persons (1.8%), spread across 52 districts in 20 states, to be COVID-19-positive. Out of the 104 positive cases 40 were found to have no contact with COVID-19 patients nor had any travel history. Though the study, in its interpretation and conclusions, does not mention community transmission of COVID-19, the ICMR had commissioned the surveillance to look for community transmission of the virus. </p>.<p>“COVID-19 containment activities need to be targeted in districts reporting COVID-19 cases among SARI patients. Intensifying sentinel surveillance for COVID-19 among SARI patients may be an efficient tool to effectively use resources towards containment and mitigation efforts,” the study said. </p>.<p><a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/national/coronavirus-india-update-state-wise-total-number-of-confirmed-cases-deaths-on-april-11-823937.html" target="_blank"><strong>Track state-wise confirmed coronavirus cases here</strong></a></p>.<p>According to the study, the majority of the SARI patients were tested from Gujarat (792), Tamil Nadu (577), Maharashtra (553) and Kerala (502) with COVID-19 positivity of 1.6%, 0.9%, 3.8% and 0.2%, respectively. </p>.<p>COVID-19 positive SARI patients were detected from eight districts in Maharashtra, six in West Bengal and five each in Tamil Nadu and Delhi. </p>.<p>The median age of Covid-19 positive SARI patients was 54 years, and 85 (83.3%) were males; 83 (81.4%) of the affected patients were more than 40 years of age.</p>
