In Revised Guideline, Bengal Says No Pre-Procedure Covid Test Needed In Most Cases

The revised guidelines were based on the recommendations of the West Bengal Expert Committee on Covid which suggested that clinical tests to ascertain the infection should be done only if the patient is symptomatic for the contagion.

Outlook Web Desk

Updated on: 5 March 2022 10:56 am

As the Covid-19 scenario in West Bengal kept improving every day, the state health department has issued a revised guideline for testing protocol, that says no coronavirus test is required for hospitalisation for most of the procedures or surgeries. The revised guidelines were based on the recommendations of the West Bengal Expert Committee on Covid which suggested that clinical tests to ascertain the infection should be done only if the patient is symptomatic for the contagion.

It has also suggested that pre-procedure screening is needed only for procedures involving oral or nasal cavity or pharynx where the surgeon is in close contact for a long duration. "No Covid test is needed fIn revised guideline, Bengal govt says no pre-procedure Covid screening needed in most cases or routine hospital admission prior to any surgery or interventional/ non-interventional procedure, unless the patient is symptomatically suggestive of Covid-19," the guideline said.

It has also said that no patient should be referred to another hospital for lack of facility for testing. According to the recommendations, there is no need for use of PPE for surgical procedures on symptomatic patients as N95 mask, gloves, face shield and plastic apron are sufficient. "Positive patients with comorbidities will be admitted under the primary caregiver in their ward in an isolated space earmarked for basic infection control measures," the guideline stated.

Meanwhile, West Bengal registered no Covid-19 death for the third consecutive day on Friday even as 125 fresh infections were reported. According to the bulletin issued by the health department, the toll remained unchanged at 21,178 while the tally rose to 20,15,670.

In the last 24 hours, 152 recoveries were reported in West Bengal taking the total number of cured people to 19,92,743. The number of active cases now is 1,749. Since Thursday, 23,880 samples were tested for Covid-19 in the state as the total number of such examinations has gone up to 2,43,07,906.

With PTI Inputs