India Conducts 24 Tests For One COVID-19 Positive Case: ICMR

New Delhi: Compared to other countries that are battling COVID-19 crisis, in India around 24 tests are conducted for one positive COVID-19 case, Dr Raman R Gangakhedkar of the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) said here on Thursday (April 16). While addressing the Union Health Ministry press briefing, Dr Gangakhedkar said “If we see globally then in Japan, to find one positive case, 11.7 persons are tested. In Italy that number is 6.7, in US it’s 5.3, and in UK it’s 3.4. Here in India, we do 24 tests for one positive case.”

He continued saying that the rapid anti-body test is not conducted for early diagnosis; it is used for surveillance purpose.

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“The anti-bodies even if seen in our body cannot confirm that we will never be infected, said Dr. Gangakhedkar.

Two types of rapid test kits of two companies have arrived today. Two lakh kits and three lakh kits have been received respectively. Both the kits are slightly different and these are serological kits. If anti-bodies are visible it doesn’t mean that our immune system is very strong, he added.

This test can be offered to a person who has returned from a coronavirus-affected country or places and in case he shows symptoms of COVID-19, Dr. Gangakhedkar informed.

Secondly, this test is offered to the contact of a lab-confirmed case and in case a healthcare worker shows up symptoms of COVID-19 then this test can be offered to him or her as well. Contacts of asymptomatic and high-risk cases are also offered this test after five to 14 days, he added.

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Informing about the COVID-19 tests conducted till date he said,

2,90,401 people have been tested till date, of which 30,043 (26,331 tests done at ICMR’s 176 labs and 3,712 tests at 78 private labs) were tested yesterday (April 15).

Earlier in the press briefing, Lav Agrawal, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Health had informed that 325 districts in India have no cases of COVID-19 while no case has been reported since the last 28 days in Mahe district, Puducherry.

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