According to the Indian Council of Medical Research, a total of 16,73,688 samples have been tested as of 9 am of May 11. No further data was provided. As per ICMR's bulletins, around 64,651 samples were tested in 24 hours, from 9 am on May 10 to 9 am on May 11.
Here are the state-wise numbers as of 10 am on May 11:
— Andhra Pradesh has tested 1,73,735 samples out of which 1,71,755 were negative. As on May 11, the state has a total of 1,980 cases, with 925 recoveries and 45 deaths.
— Kerala has tested 37,464 samples so far and of these, 36,630 have returned negative. The state currently has 513 confirmed cases of COVID-19, with 489 recoveries and 4 deaths.
— Tamil Nadu has tested 2,43,037 samples so far, with 7,204 people testing positive. 2,35,157 samples were tested negative and results of 676 samples are awaited. 10,669 samples are repeat samples. 1,959 people have recovered and 47 people have died due to the disease.
—Telangana had been providing sample numbers till April 30. However, the updated numbers since then are not known. A total of 1,196 people have tested positive so far, with 751 recoveries. The state has recorded 30 deaths so far.
— Karnataka has tested 1,07,311 samples, with 848 people testing positive and 1,02,226 samples returning negative. The state has recorded 31 COVID-19 deaths, while 422 persons have recovered.
— Maharashtra has tested 2,38,766 laboratory samples, out of which 2,15,903 were negative and 21,171 have tested positive. 832 people have died from the disease in the state, while 4,199 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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