Bengaluru ‘fever clinics’ to screen COVID-19 suspected cases

Citizens can book their visit to the fever clinics online if they develop symptoms

covid-19-test A fever clinic in Bengaluru, Karnataka

In a single day, at least 358 fever cases were screened across 31 fever clinics set up in Bengaluru. The clinics will be the first point of contact for all suspected COVID-19 cases. 

The Karnataka government has identified 60 urban primary health centres (UPHCs) and 36 private hospitals in Bengaluru alone to function as “fever clinics” to screen suspected cases of COVID-19. Similar clinics will be opened in all districts soon.

Anyone with symptoms such as fever, cough, sore throat or breathlessness should first approach the nearest fever clinic, where the COVID-19 Rapid Response team will examine the patients and triage them into “suspected group” and safe group. While the safe group patient (lacking COVID-19 symptoms) will be sent back home with prescriptions for their illness, the suspected cases will be sent to a swab collection centre in a dedicated vehicle.

After swab collection, the patient will need to stay in a hotel designated as a quarantine centre till the swab test results are out.  If the patient tests COVID-19 positive, with mild symptoms, he or she will be moved to a supervised isolation centre. But if the positive case has severe symptoms and falls under high risk, the patient will be moved to a designated COVID-19 Hospital. 

If the test result is negative, the patient will be advised home quarantine.

The screening at fever clinics and testing at swab centres is free of cost. However, the authorised private labs are allowed to charge a fee not exceeding Rs 4,500.

One can book appointment to the fever clinics online through a Google spreadsheet link (https//forms.gle/54H11fCWst26i2DD9).

The Government of India guidelines approve COVID-19 testing for all individuals who have travelled abroad in the last 14 days and have developed symptoms for the coronavirus, all symptomatic contacts of persons who have tested positive, all symptomatic healthcare workers, all hospitalised patients with severe respiratory illnesses and asymptomatic direct and high-risk contacts of confirmed cases.

You can locate the nearest fever clinic on Google Map through this link: https://www.google.com/maps/d/viewermid=1faGH5tZxnSsnt1o9XaxfSIN6l5gCTiS2&ll=12.904246965530138%2C77.59448064999992&z=11

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