UP extends medical aid to patients who tested COVID negative

Lucknow: The Yogi Adityanath government has directed all the medical facilities to treat suspected symptomatic cases who test negative in the RT-PCR as presumptive Covid-19 cases, and provide them medical aid.

'The suspected symptomatic cases who test negative in the RT-PCR method but show physiological changes like positive patients, corroborated and co-related on basis of a blood test, CT scan or doctor's opinion, should be treated as a positive case and given treatment be given as per protocol ', said an order issued by Amit Mohan Prasad, additional chief secretary, health and family welfare.

The order further said that such patients will be treated at designated Covid-19 hospitals but they may be kept separate from the clearly positive cases.

Physicians in Sanjay Gandhi Post Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences and King George's Medical University have noticed cases of people appearing with evident Covid symptoms but had tested negative.

This caused worry since could not be treated as per protocol as they did not belong to either of the existing categories - Covid or non-Covid.

As a result, RT-PCR negative persons with mild-moderate symptoms had to resort to self-medication or depend on informal advice from their doctors.

"Many such patients turned to us for help. We proceeded only after explaining the risks involved and also taking clear consent," said Abhishek Shukla, a geriatric physician.

Citing the probable reason for samples testing RT-PCR negative, Community epidemiologist Dr Vishwajeet Kumar said, "First of all, RT-PCR is not fail-safe. There is a chance of getting 20-30 per cent false-negative cases. Then, the virus could have mutated. Thirdly, the system is under deep stress and the chances of human errors cannot be ruled out."

However, the official sources said that the treatment regimen for such patients is also being worked upon and will be released by the state medical education department shortly.