Ramping up COVID-19 exams: Kerala left it too late, really feel specialists

Express News Service
KOCHI:  The spike within the variety of Covid instances continues to fret the state. While over the past two days, the Covid exams performed within the state have elevated, in accordance with specialists this has been a step too late.

It ought to have been achieved when Covid within the state recorded its peak in October, they are saying. TNIE takes a have a look at what went flawed with the federal government’s testing technique.

Over reliance on antigen exams and delay in ramping up exams when the instances reached the height had been the important thing causes for the present pandemic state of affairs in Kerala.

The antigen exams performed was at 72% on Wednesday out of the 52,940 whole exams achieved, whereas it was 67% on Friday when the each day exams rose to 91,931.

“Over dependence on antigen tests was pointed out long time back and yet enough measures were not taken by the government. We do understand the constraints of the government in increasing the number of RT-PCR tests. Ideally the RT-PCR tests should be done at least over 75% of the total daily tests,” mentioned Dr Gopikumar P, secretary of Indian Medical Association. 

The delay in participating non-public hospitals in Covid battle initially was not technique by the federal government.

“The best example is the situation in Dharavi in Mumbai. They adopted a strategy of roping in all private clinics in the area and conducting tests on whoever walked in with the symptoms. If private hospitals were involved from the beginning in Kerala, the situation would have been different now,” he added.

However, there are additionally arguments that because the antigen exams establish these with excessive viral masses, the probabilities of these with low viral masses to unfold the an infection are much less.

“The tests done for clinical diagnosis and testing for public surveillance are different. Even the most sensitive RT-PCR has a sensitivity of 70%. So we cannot rule out missing the cases. While in the case of antigen tests, since those with high viral loads are detected and those with low viral loads limit the spread of infection, it helps in preventing an outbreak,” mentioned a well being official.

“The tests should have been increased during the peak in October when the TPR crossed 18% in the state. Along with strengthening measures, the government should also identify and isolate those tested positive. Like how the CM has specified that cases among family members are on the rise here, all first line treatment centres that are now closed should once again function in full swing,” mentioned Rijo M John, well being economist.