Karnataka to continue corona tests on dead patients with SARI symptoms

The Karnataka Health Department will continue to do COVID-19 tests on dead patients who had a history of Influenza-Like Illness (ILI) and Severe Acute Respiratory Infection (SARI), an official said on Wednesday.

Accordingly, the department will collect swabs within six hours of the death of such patients. In case of corona positive reports, all primary contacts of the deceased will be tested.

He said the state government is committed to test more people for the coronavirus in an effort to control the transmission.

This development comes a day after the clause pertaining to tests on deceased patients with a history of ILI and SARI was done away with by the state government. However, the Health Department restored the clause on directions from the government of India.

Many Covid patients have underlying ILI, SARI and other respiratory conditions.