Corona: Important to know: What are the symptoms and where are the testing centres?
Posted on: 24/Apr/2021 6:29:08 PM
Symptoms:
Common early symptoms of the disease include cough, fever, shortness of breath, sore throat, congestion, headaches, body aches, sudden loss of smell and taste.
These are commonly reported by recent COVID patients. However, some asymptomatic patients may not experience any of these.
Whether you are a frontline worker in close contact with known COVID-19 patients, or an asymptomatic person, buy an oximeter to measure oxygen levels in the blood every day. An oxygen saturation level of 95% is considered normal for most healthy individuals.
Important note:
AN OXYGEN SATURATION LEVEL LOWER THAN 90% IS CONSIDERED TO BE WORRISOME AND CALLS FOR IMMEDIATE MEDICAL ATTENTION!
Test:
Get a swab test done from any of the ICMR accredited laboratories if you have symptoms of COVID-19. The new ICMR rule states that any person can get tested without a doctor’s prescription. In a private lab, you will have to pay at the rates decided by the lab in question to get your swab test done. Get the list of ICMR-accredited laboratories here.
According to a notification released last December, the Tamil Nadu Health Department had capped the test cost at Rs 1,500 for private labs. In the case of home collection of samples, an additional Rs 500 can be charged. For persons with Chief Minister’s Comprehensive Health Insurance Scheme (CMCHIS), they can be charged a maximum of Rs 1,200 for individual tests and Rs 900 for pooled testing.
- Testing can also be done at the sample collection centres and fever camps being conducted by GCC in all the zones.
- The results will be sent via SMS within 24 hours of the swab.
- If the result is positive, it will also reach the concerned corporation official in your zone.
