COVID-19 new strain: Centre releases SOPs for air travellers

NEW DELHI: After five UK returnees tested positive for COVID-19 in the country, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare issued Standard Operating Procedure for Epidemiological Surveillance and Response in the context of new variant of SARS-CoV-2 virus detected in the UK.

The SOPs released describes the activities to be undertaken at the point of entry and in the community for all International passengers who have travelled from or transited through UK in the past 4 weeks.

The government has directed that all international travelers will have declare their travel history of past 14 days and fill up a self-declaration form to be screened for COVID-19.

The government directed the UK passengers travelling from December 21 to 23 would be tested on arrival. Futher directed, the passengers testing positive shall be isolated.

Necessary action to send the samples to National Institute of Virology (NIV), Pune or any other appropriate lab for genomic sequencing will be initiated at the facility level:

a. If the report of the sequencing is consistent with the current SARS-CoV-2 virus genome circulating in the country; the ongoing treatment protocol including home isolation/treatment at facility level as per case severity may be followed.

b. If the genomic sequencing indicates the presence of new variant of SARS-CoV-2 then the patient will continue to remain in a separate isolation unit. While necessary treatment as per the existing protocol will be given, the patient shall be tested on 14th day, after having tested positive in the initial test. In case the sample is found positive on 14th day, further sample may be taken until his two consecutive samples taken 24 hours apart are tested negative.

Meanwhile, the people testing negative would be advised home quarantine.

Those international travellers from UK who arrived in India from 25 November to 8 December, which is the 1st & 2nd week from 25th November will be contacted by District Surveillance Officers and advised to self-monitor their health. If anyone amongst them develops symptoms, they will be tested by RT PCR.

a) If tested positive, genetic sequencing will be done. If the results are consistent with current circulating SARS-CoV2,the ongoing treatment protocol including home isolation/treatment at facility level as per case severity may be followed.

ALSO READ: 5 UK returnees test COVID-19 positive in India

If the results of genomic sequencing are consistent with new variant, then these passengers will continue to remain in a separate isolation unit.

The list of international travellers who arrived in India, as described in the scope above, between 9 th December to 23rd December (3rd & 4th week) will be shared with respective State / District Surveillance Officers for daily follow up till 14 days after their arrival in India, the ministry further stated.

All the community contacts (without any exception) of those travellers who have tested positive would be subjected to institutional quarantine in separate quarantine centers and would be tested between 5-10th day as per current ICMR guidelines using RT-PCR. The same procedure for Covid-19 and new Covid-19 variant will follow as stated above.

The information regarding any passenger covered within the scope of this SOP, who travels to another State will be immediately notified to the concerned State Health Authority. "If any passenger is not traceable initially or during any duration while being followed up should be immediately notified to Central Surveillance Unit of IDSP by the District Surveillance Officer," the health ministry stated.

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