Guidelines issued for RT-PCR based pool sampling of migrants and returnees from abroad

Government has decided to use one time RT-PCR based pooled sampling for Covid-19 screening among migrant workers and returnees from abroad.

The same testing technique would also be used for monitoring in green zones districts which have reported no cases till now or last 21 days.

As per the guidelines, a cohort of 25 people will be identified and throat nasal swab will be collected as per the laid down protocol by the ICMR by trained laboratory personnel under appropriate protective gear with aprons, hand gloves, face-shields or goggles, and N-95 masks.

Proper labelleing (name/age/gender/specimen ID) needs to be done on specimen container.

25 such samples of such cohort would be packed in triple layer packaging and will be transported to the identified laboratory under cold-chain as per ICMR guidelines.

The report will be conveyed to the quarantine/concerned facility within 24 hours. If any of the pooled samples test positive, individual samples would be tested from the aliquoted samples preserved in the laboratory.