CHENNAI: After the four JN.1 variant COVID-19 cases of COVID-19 were reported in Tamil Nadu recently, the Directorate of Public Health and Preventive Medicine has issued directions for early detection of symptomatic cases for immediate care.

The state health department, in a recent advisory stated that early detection of infections in elderly above 60 years of age and individuals with comorbidities including diabetes, hypertension, chronic lung or kidney disease, malignancy, obesity etc. should be tested for immediate care.

The early detection and limit the spread of new isolated Variant of Interest (VoI) JN.1 is also important, thus, as per the latest advisory, symptomatic cases of cough, fever, sore throat, breathlessness or other respiratory symptoms should be tested.

The at risk contacts of laboratory confirmed cases of COVID-19 should also be tested. This includes elderly and individuals with co-morbidity such as diabetes, hypertension, chronic lung or kidney diseases, malignancy, immuno compromised obesity. In case of clustering of cases, contacts need to be tested. Besides this, any unusual presentation of COVID-19 cases also need to be tested.

In hospital settings, all hospitalised cases of Influenza like illnesses and SARI should be tested. The Deputy Directors of Health Services have been instructed to adhere to the guidelines without any deviation.