As false negative cases increase, Karnataka govt directs officials to follow 'syndromic approach'

Bengaluru, May 03: In the wake of recent surge in false negative reports during the COVID testing, the Karnataka government has ordered the hospitals in the state to admit critical patients who have COVID-19 like symptoms but test negative on RT-PCR tests.

The hospitals have been directed to follow a Syndromic Approach and issue Patient Numbers for hospitalisation and treatment of such cases based on the authorization of doctors.

Under this method, authorities concerned are authorised to issue patient number for such patients without a positive test report and treat them as COVID patients under the existing arrangements.

A few cases recently came to light where the hospitals refused to admit patients and treat them as COVID infected despite displaying all the virus symptoms. OneIndia Kannada had published a detailed story on the COVID-19 testing methods.

"During the recent surge, an increasing number of false negative reports have been witnessed under both the methods of COVID testing viz.RT-PCR and Rapid Antigen Test, enhancing the necessity of admitting and treating a large number of patients under the syndromic approach," the Additional Chief Secretary Jawaid Akhtar said in his circular.

It was because such patients' COVID reports had come out negative,the government did not give them patient number. Without a patient number, such patients do not avail any benefits and required treatment.