India on Wednesday tested a record 9 lakh swab samples for the coronavirus disease (Covid-19), as the total number of people who have been tested to date is over 30.25 million, or 3,26,42,782.
Pune’s National Institute of Virology, under the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), had conducted the first Covid-19 test in the country on January 23, while the first case of the viral outbreak in India was detected on January 30.
“India scales a new peak in daily testing. More than 9 lakh Covid-19 tests were conducted in the last 24 hours. The positivity rate has come down to below 8%. The daily testing capacity is likely to reach 10 lakhs soon. The tests per million has also seen a sharp rise,” said a statement from the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoH&FW)
Fewer Covid-19 patients have required ventillator support because of each detection of the viral outbreak cases through aggressive testing, contact tracing, and clinical treatment management strategies.
The latest ministry data showed 0.28% of Covid-19 patients are on ventillator support, 1.92% are undergoing treatment in intensive care units (ICUs) and 2.62% are on oxygen therapy.
“It is only by aggressive testing that Covid-19 cases can be identified, their contacts tracked and isolated as well as prompt treatment can be ensured through timely medical care. The sustained level of high testing has played a key role in India’s increasing rate of recovery, widening gap between the recovered and active cases, and also progressively declining case fatality rate (CFR),” the statement added.
Covid-19 recoveries reported on a single day have touched 60,000, and have also surpassed the number of new cases reported during the 24-hour reporting cycle.
While the country’s testing capacity is recording a constant rise, it is the positivity of about 8% that experts feel is a cause for concern.
Because of increased testing, the positivity rate of Covid-19 recorded a jump from about 4% in April to about 9% in August.
However, since August 1 the positivity rate has hovered between 8.81 and 8.93%, which should have declined after prolonged aggressive testing.
“The positivity rate, which has by and large been constant since August 1, signifies that Covid-19 cases are still being reported, and the transmission cycle has not yet been broken. The virus is still very much in circulation. The positivity rate of 5% or below for a prolonged period of time is what should be aimed at in a bid to rein in the spread of the contagion,” said Dr. Lalit Kant, former head, epidemiology and communicable diseases division, ICMR.
Source: Hindustan Times, Rhythma Kaul
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