NEW DELHI: The government expanded its RT-PCR testing for Covid-19— considered definitive in confirming the disease — to cover all symptomatic people in hotspot areas, clusters and large migration gatherings or evacuee centres within seven days of reporting sick. The protocol states that after a week of symptoms , an antibody test can be done followed by a confirmatory RT-PCR if the results are negative.“We have revised the testing strategy to include all symptomatic people,” Manoj Murhekar from Indian Council of Medical Research said. The symptoms include fever, cough, sore throat, runny nose and difficulty in breathing.Last week, the government issued an advisory to start rapid antibody blood test for Covid-19 among symptomatic people with influenza like illnesses in cluster containment zones and in large migration gatherings and evacuee centres. Those with symptoms but tested negative were to also remain in quarantine, due to concerns over false negatives.So far, RT-PCR was approved for testing of all symptomatic people with international travel history in last 14 days, symptomatic contacts of Covid-19 positive cases, symptomatic healthcare workers and all hospitalised patients with severe acute respiratory illness (SARI). Besides, the government had also decided to conduct RT-PCR test on asymptomatic direct and high-risk contacts of a confirmed case between day 5 and 14 of such contact.Apart from this, RT-PCR or real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction test was also advised as a confirmatory procedure in cases where the antibody blood test resulted negative in certain cases. The RT-PCR test is an elaborate four-stage test.Sources said the expansion of testing is aimed at breaking the chain.