Amid the prevailing surge in COVID-19 cases, Divisional administration in Kashmir has asked the Chief Medical Officers in the valley to rationalize sampling through RT-PCR mode as per ICMR guidelines “so that wastage of resources and unmindful testing is reduced”.
In a letter shot Monday to all the CMOs, in-charge of the Divisional COVID-19 Control Room at the Divisional Commissioner Kashmir’s office, Tahir Ahmad Magray said that the RT-PCR testing laboratories in Kashmir’s were being “overwhelmed due to huge testing load”.
Moreover, persons testing COVID-19 positive through RAT were being re-tested through RT-PCR “thereby putting unnecessary pressure on already overburdened laboratories”, reads the letter.
Accordingly, the CMOs have been asked not to repeat RT-PCR on individuals, who have tested positive either through RAT or RT-PCR.
They have also been told not to undertake RAT or RT-PCR testing of COVID-19 recovered persons at the time of hospital discharge.
Besides, RT-PCR shall not be undertaken for healthy or asymptomatic individuals, the Monday’s letter said.