Kerala mandates Covid-19 tests for all fever patients amid rising cases

Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala has intensified Covid-19 testing protocols as the state witnesses a surge in positive cases. With approximately 1,435 new infections reported, Kerala currently records the highest number of Covid-19 cases in India.

The Health Department has issued fresh guidelines mandating that all patients presenting with fever at hospitals undergo Covid-19 testing. Patients will first take an antigen test; if positive, they must follow up with an RT-PCR test. Additionally, those with existing health issues are advised to wear masks, and bystanders of hospitalised patients are required to use masks as well. All Covid-19 positive patients are to be admitted to designated isolation wards.

The renewed directives come amid the reopening of educational institutions in the state and an ongoing fever outbreak. Since the rise in cases began, eight Covid-positive patients have succumbed to the virus. Meanwhile, private hospitals have been requiring patients scheduled for surgery to present a negative Covid-19 test as a precautionary measure.

At the national level, Covid-19 cases have climbed to 4,026 as of 8 a.m. on Tuesday, according to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. Five new deaths were reported in the last 24 hours, bringing the total fatalities to 37.

Health experts have reassured the public that there is no cause for panic, noting that the current wave is unlikely to overwhelm hospitals. This recent increase is attributed to two new coronavirus variants, NB.1.8.1 and LF.7, which are mutations of the Omicron subvariant JN.1. Both variants have been detected in India, as confirmed by data from the Indian SARS-CoV-2 Genomics Consortium (INSACOG), operating under the Ministry of Health.

With IANS inputs