The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) on Tuesday said that it has no objection if the state government sets up convenient sample collection sites.
“ICMR has no objection on adoption of establishing convenient sample collection sites (drive through centers for sample collection etc.) by the respective State Governments,” the organization said in an advisory.
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However, some necessary precautions needed to be followed while collecting samples, the ICMR added.
As per the advisory released by the ICMR, sample collection should be done using the recommended Personal Protective Equipment (PPE).
Moreover, sites should be disinfected regularly as per recommended procedures and all recommended bio-safety and bio-security precautions should be implemented, it added.
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Transportation of samples to the nearest COVID-19 testing laboratory should be ensured under proper cold-chain conditions and with triple layered packing, it said.
Meanwhile, ICMR has procured 10 lakhReverse Transcription-Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR) kits used for diagnosis and 7 depotshave been established for uninterrupted supply of reagents across the nation for efficient distribution to government testing laboratories.
ICMR has recommended empiric use of hydroxychloroquine for prophylaxis of SARS-CoV-2 infection in both asymptomatic healthcare workers involved in the care of suspected or confirmed cases of COVID-19 and asymptomatic house hold contacts of confirmed COVID-19 cases.