INDIAN ENDEAVOURS TO ACHIEVE FASTER AND MORE ACCURATE DIAGNOSIS OF COVID-19

Fighting with Coronavirus is becoming tough for the country and hence, the Government of India has decided to take some extra steps that can forward it to all. 

Recently, the health department of India withdrew its plans to promote antibody tests on a huge scale, and now it has moved back to RT-PCR i.e. the known “gold standard” for COVID-19 Diagnosis.

However, the senior government officials also conveyed that the ICMR (Indian Council of Medical Research) could not place fresh orders for antibody rapid test kits. 

Hence, instead, ICMR has asked manufacturers of Reverse Transcription Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR) kits to increase the overall production.

In addition, the ICMR also floated tenders to produce antibody test kits and RT-PCR test kits. To add more functionality, it has started going slow on antibody test production which is indeed helpful in generating results at a faster rate. 

But, the overall accuracy of the antibody tests is till questioned which is why its production has been stopped. Also, India has cancelled the orders of over 2 Million test kits with a couple of Chinese firms.

 

What Could Be The Next Step?

ICMR has recently conveyed the domestic manufacturers of RT-PCR kits to increase the production. Though the private laboratories have less involvement in the process. 

Still, an average production of 50,000 tests per day is occurring on a daily basis. However, ICMR is planning to scale up the total count to 1,00,000 tests per day in order to combat with COVID-19. 

Apart from hitting difficulty with antibody test kits, the authorities failed to provide clear guidance on COVID-19. This was the overall feedback of the health experts on the authorities. Amid the COVID-19 fight, a number of complications have been presented by the government. 

This includes rapid testing, plasma therapy, and even the application of hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) at various Corona Virus Test Centers. However, there are few activists who think that validating HCQ without any evidence was doubtful. 

It happened because a premier health research body gives a non-evidence-based reference for a drug that was not even tested.

 

Conditions Of Other States

There are several states that started implementing plasma therapy on patients. But, the health ministry of India indicated that there was no enough indication to support the use of plasma therapy for COVID-19 treatment.

But, what happens in Delhi is quite different than the other states. The Chief Minister of Delhi, Mr. Arvind Kejriwal has been advising all those patients who have recovered from the coronavirus disease to donate plasma. 

Because this would help serious COVID-19 patients to get rid of the disease. Believe it or not, but as per the information that has gone viral, around 350 Tablighi Jamaat members who got completely recovered from the infection donated their plasma.

The therapy had proved to benefit people and the Delhi government did the implementations later on by conducting a trial and planning to expand it.

 

Some Decisions Proved Jumbling

To learn more, you can take the case of HCQ and ibuprofen. Talking about asymptomatic or pre-symptomatic personalities, all such names have a scientific meaning. And we are now using it for public relations. 

Additionally, common persons like us and even the doctors are finding it difficult to differentiate between PR and science. 

The main issue occurs then when some of the information provided by the Government says that HCQ cannot be exported and the very next moment the ban on the medicine lifts up.

Afterwards, people start getting admitted, and then anytime a notice comes out that people with mild symptoms can stay at home. 

So, basically, if you think there is no clear plan but science has a plan. So, such kind of misunderstandings may create a huge fiasco for all. 

However, the public health experts also conveyed that from inadequate testing and huge lack of coordination, the activities showed a jumbled response to the coronavirus disease. 

Initially, it was unknown what will be the strategy for Coronavirus Testing and what is the correct time to start with the rapid testing.

The main issue raised when the Indian Government’s refused to provide vivid directions on a number of aspects and then the rules came out to be quite confusing.

The Final Effect

As per the decision taken by ICMR and the Government of India, the rapid test kits are created to increase the screening procedure in the country of around 1.3 billion people. 

However, the Union Ministry of Health said that, in such regions, close to 70% of testing capacity has been wholly established. 

If you talk about last month, then only 80,000 people could take the COVID-19 test at various Coronavirus Test Centers across India. However, there could be only 132 state-run labs along with 52 private labs. Then, the total number of tests accompanied increased to around 10,000 per day.

With the help of all these initiatives taken by the Government, India is all set and planned to achieve a greater, faster, and accurate diagnosis of the COVID-19 treatment. 

However, still, people are advised to stay home and follow the basic guidelines issued by the government in the respective states and regions.

ICMR has approved a number of COVID-19 testing labs in India and Metropolis Healthcare is among them. It is the best and authorized Corona Virus Testing Lab in India spread across various regions of Maharashtra. 

One can go and visit the lab to get tested with coronavirus. But, importantly, one should have a prescription from the experienced and knowledgeable doctors and have to follow a couple of more instructions.

 

INDIA's PREPAREDNESS FOR CORONA TESTING AND COVID-19 TREATMENT FACILITIES

COVID-19 pandemic has brought a wave of healthcare as well as economic downtime for the globe. However, to face the same, the Indian Government has made some prior arrangements to assist the patients.

Read this blog to know more about India’s preparedness for Corona Testing and for dealing with COVID-19 treatment facilities.

What Did The Health Survey Show?

A recent survey that was taken online with around 400 IAS officials by the Central Government concluded that there is an acute scarcity of medical infrastructure and facilities in India to deal with novel coronavirus disease.

However, this survey disproved the earlier claims of the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare that showed that there were ‘adequate’ ventilators, beds, and personnel protective equipment (PPE) in the country.

Though, PPEs like masks, gloves, and more for medical staff were of the major concern for a number of districts and across states.

As per the survey, around 80% of respondents agreed that local managements had a working system to identify, test, and then quarantine the infected ones. Though, the ICMR said that the national average of utilization is just 35%.

Not least but there were a few districts that mentioned that there was a shortage of testing kits. The governments ‘COVID-19 Preparedness Survey’ recognized the need for advanced hospital preparedness for the district level or sub-district level hospitals.

The survey also showed that adequate isolation beds were present. However, the majority of districts across the country have stressed the shortage of equipment and facilities like ICU beds, ventilators, ambulances, oxygen cylinders along with the medical staff.

The ‘Emergency Response and Health System Preparedness’ Package

To come off this COVID-19 disease, the Cabinet has recently allotted Rs. 15,000 crore of amounts for 'India COVID-19 Emergency Response and Health System Preparedness Package'.

The Cabinet did this in regard to the urgent response to curb the spread of the virus in India. However, they have planned to execute this strategy through the development of dedicated treatment facilities along with making the laboratories open to facilitate coronavirus testing.

Out of the total amount, Rs 7,774 crore has been given for COVID-19 Emergency Response while the rest has been reserved for medium-term support.

The prime purpose of the launch of this package includes the increasing emergency response to limit the coronavirus infection in the country through the development of diagnostics and COV1D-dedicated treatment facilities.

Additionally, they have also planned to get it done through centralized attaining of necessary medical equipment and drugs, strengthening and building strong national state health systems along with introducing laboratories.

However, all these activities would be taken under the health ministry department of India.

Also, coronavirus hotspots have been identified and appropriate containment strategies are being applied to prepare the country to fight smartly with the pandemic.

Coronavirus testing has been expanded and the overall testing capacity is getting increased day-by-day. In fact, orders for earning of 13 lakhs diagnostic kits have been placed to enlarge the COVID testing crossways in India.

Not least, but all health workers including community health volunteers have provided coverage under the 'Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Package: Insurance Scheme for Health Workers lighting COVID-19' package.

However, PPE i.e. (Personal Protective Equipment), N95 masks, ventilators, testing kits as well as drugs for treatment are acquired on a central basis.

The Cabinet has also reserved a major share for providing strong emergency response, strengthening national and state health systems.

This is also in addition to abiding these things by strengthening pandemic research and multi-sector national institutions, etc.

Military Hospitals & Viral Testing Laboratories Are Also Set

The Indian Government has given notification to a minimum of 50 military hospitals across the country to come under the dedicated or mixed centers for Covid-19. Though, 6 viral testing labs have been launched by the armed forces to fight this pandemic.

Moreover, AFMS (The Armed Forces Medical Services) has also started coordinating to the retired Army Medical Corps (AMC) officers and paramedical staff to request them to volunteer at military hospitals at their current home stations if the need increases.

Regarding the viral testing labs, six have already been initiated with the help of ICMR and are being functional at a number of AFMS hospitals. However, these hospitals have given a combined bed capacity of 9,000 patients.

How Did Kerala Stop The COVID-19 spread?

Kerala was the first state in the country to report a coronavirus case at the end of January. While the number of new cases in the first week of April dropped by 30 percent from the last week.

Kerala had reported just two deaths while 52 percent of positive patients have recovered in the state which cannot be seen anywhere else in India.

The success of Kerala in combating Covid-19 has proved to be enlightening for the Indian government and this has largely shut the country to stop the spread of the disease. But, still, it is continuing to see the curve trend growing.

COVID’s challenges are numerous from high population density to poor health-care facilities. But, Kerala took proactive measures like as early detection and wide social support measures which are why it has set itself as a role model for the rest of the country.

Kerala’s approach was both strict and humane which proved to be very effective from the beginning. This approach included tracing and treating, aggressive testing, isolating, and more.

However, screening at airports was made too strict and travelers from around nine countries that included coronavirus hotspots such as South Korea were asked to quarantine at home for 2 weeks before India implied these restrictions to other places as well.

What more could a state do?

In Kerala, at an instant, a number of foreign nationals were removed from a flight before they could take-off. It is because they had not completed their isolation period.

Additionally, temporary quarantine shelters were made available to accommodate tourists and other non-residents.

In the April first week, Kerala could conduct more than 15,000 tests which directly reflect how strict and precise the health department must have worked to combat COVID-19.

Maharashtra state is also been experiencing a high surge in the COVID-19 patients and hence COVID19 test in Pune and Coronavirus Test in Mumbai along with other cities of the state have been incorporated.

In Delhi, along with other ICMR has also approved Metropolis Healthcare as the COVID testing labs in Delhi and patients can book a Corona Test at Home anytime to get tested.

So, with the help of every state health ministry, the nation is taking every step keenly and precisely so as to combat with COVID-19 pandemic.

Let us hope for the best health of our country and let the economy of the country gets stable at a faster rate.

WHY WE NEED THE LARGE SCALE COVID19 TEST DRIVE IN INDIA?

At present, India has around 39,980 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and the country is still facing this pandemic very boldly. It has been observed that the number of patients is increasing day-by-day.

The health department of every city along with the police force is taking every possible measure to protect the citizens from this pandemic. People are getting keenly aware of this disease and the number of tests taken every day is also increased as compared to the previous month record.

With these rising COVID-19 patients, it has become essential for India, which is Asia’s third-largest economy, to increase the Coronavirus Test Centers by tenfold.

However, the ICMR (Indian Council for Medical Research) would elevate the Coronavirus Testing capacity to 1 lakh per day which is currently 18000 per day. This crucial step was the prerequisite to face the worst-case scenario in the coming days.

The Overall Effect

The government had announced a 21-day along with the current 17-day lockdown across the country which is why the business economy has slowed down again.

Not least, but the International Monetary Fund had already declared a recession which would definitely take some time to get things back on track.

However, the medical research body also allows the use of rapid antibody tests because the new coronavirus hotspots have emerged in the country. ICMR has approved more than 200 labs that include the public and private COVID 19 Lab in India ‌.

This testing can be done through RT-PCR machines that can genetically detect the pathogen. Also, the government has been identifying different research institutes, government labs as well as private labs, and medical colleges that have all the capability and infrastructure to manage Corona Testing.

To take control of this pandemic, the ICMR is also looking to shift into working models at currently working labs. Also, it is also trying to connect with other states as well to increase the workforce to handle a number of functions such as data entry and RNA extraction.

On April 6, 2020, the ICMR acquired over 10 lakh RT-PCR kits. It is in the process of validating new kits that have all authorization.

What Is the COVID-19 test-drive process?

The test-drive tests start with filling an online information sheet that the individual is required to fill appropriately. The sheet will have all the required information about the patient i.e. the patient’s symptoms and the doctor’s prescription.

However, they are also required to mention their vehicle numbers. Then, the model of their car is then processed for collection. In India, each Corona Test Cost is Rs. 3500, and this price is set in sync with the guidelines set for private labs by ICMR.

Once the patient’s registration is completed, the patient is provided with a list of instructions in PDF format. It will include the pointers under ‘How’, ‘Why’, and ‘What’ parts.

However, as per the survey conducted by the medical organizations, the COVID-19 test drive is the most important step taken towards the betterment of the country as it fetches more precise information about the patients.

Down the line, if the nation really needs to get out of the woods of Coronavirus, then the health department must conduct a large scale test drive in India. This will not only help the nation to have a good health factor but also will help economically as well.