Over 1 million samples tested in India till date: Data from south states, Maharashtra

India has ramped up testing since the lockdown was announced on March 24, which has now been extended to May 17. 

According to the Indian Council of Medical Research, a total of 10,46,450 samples have been tested as of 9 am on May 3. No further data was provided.

Here are the state-wise numbers as of 10 am on May 3:

— Andhra Pradesh has tested 1,08,403 samples out of which 1,06,878 were negative. The state reported a total of 1,525 cases, with 441 recoveries and 33 deaths on May 2. 

— Kerala has tested 31,183 samples so far and of these, 30,358 have returned negative. The state currently has 500 confirmed cases of COVID-19, with 400 recoveries and 4 deaths.

— Tamil Nadu has tested 1,39,490 samples so far, with 2,757 people testing positive. 1,35,698 samples tested negative and results of 1,035 samples are awaited.  1,341 people have recovered and 29 people have died due to the disease.

—Telangana had been providing sample numbers till April 30, but has not provided an update since. A total of 1,061 people have tested positive so far, with 499 recoveries. The state has recorded 29 deaths so far.

— Karnataka has tested 69,730 samples, with 601 people testing positive and 66,475 samples returning negative. The state has recorded 25 COVID-19 deaths, while 271 persons have recovered. 

— Maharashtra had tested 1,61,092 laboratory samples on May 2, out of which  1,48,248 were negative and 12,296 tested positive. 521 people have died from the disease in the state, while 2,000 have recovered.  

Public health experts have called for wider testing to check for community transmission of COVID-19. The Indian Council of Medical Research’s (ICMR) testing strategy has been expanded and all symptomatic patients with influenza-like illness (ILI) - those with fever, cough, sore throat, runny nose - need to be tested in hotspots/clusters (identified by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare) and in large migration gatherings/ evacuees centres. Symptomatic ILI patients will have to be tested within seven days of presenting with the illness.

Earlier, the guidelines limited testing to those who have international travel history and are symptomatic; those who have contact history with a confirmed COVID-19 case and have symptoms of the virus; healthcare workers who are symptomatic; patients hospitalised with Severe Acute Respiratory Illness (SARI); and a direct or high-risk contact of a confirmed COVID-19 case who can be symptomatic or asymptomatic.

Presently, only the RT-PCR or the reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction test can detect the presence of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. However, ICMR has allowed places that are hotspots (high number of cases) to test residents using the rapid antibody kits, which can deliver results within 30-45 minutes as opposed to 24 hours that an RT-PCR test. However, a positive result by the rapid antibody test will have to be further tested by the RT-PCR test to confirm for the novel coronavirus. ICMR advises those with a negative result by the rapid antibody test to be home quarantined.  

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