The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has issued guidelines for notifying COVID-19 affected persons by private institutions. It will be mandatory for all hospitals (Government and Private), medical officers in Government health institutions and registered private medical practitioners including AYUSH practitioners, to notify such person(s) with COVID-19 infection to concerned district surveillance unit. All practitioners should also get the self-declaration forms, who, within their knowledge, are having travel history of COVID-19 affected countries as per the extant guidelines and are falling under the case definition of COVID-19 (Suspect/Case).
The Ministry has emphasized the importance of support and cooperation of the private sector in this regard.
In case the person has any such history in the last 14 days and is symptomatic as per case definition of COVID-19, the person must be isolated in the hospital and will be tested for COVID-19 as per protocol. Information of all such cases should be given to the State helpline number and also to national helpline 1075. Email may also be sent at ncov2019@gov.in.
The ministry in the guidelines has given COVID-19 case definitions.
Suspect Case: A patient with acute respiratory illness (fever and at least one sign/symptom of respiratory disease (cough, shortness of breath) and a history of travel to or of residence in a country/area or territory reporting local transmission of COVID-19 disease during the 14 days prior to symptom onset.
or
A patient / health care worker with any acute respiratory illness and having been in contact with a confirmed COVID-19 case in the last 14 days prior to onset of symptoms.
or
A patient with severe acute respiratory infection (fever and at least one sign/symptom of respiratory disease ( cough, shortness breath) and requiring hospitalization and with no other aetiology that fully explains the clinical presentation
or
A case for whom testing for COVID-19 is inconclusive.
Laboratory Confirmed case: A person with laboratory confirmation of COVID-19 infection, irrespective of clinical signs and symptoms.
