India has ramped up testing since the 21-day lockdown was announced on March 24, even as more cases have been reported in the country.

According to ICMR’s 9 pm bulletin on April 10, a total of 1,61,330 samples have been tested from 1,47,034 individuals, and 6,872 individuals have been confirmed positive in India. 

On April 10, 15,663 samples were tested and reported. Of these, 433 were found positive for SARS-CoV-2.

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

— Andhra Pradesh has tested 6958 samples. The state has 381 positive cases, 6 COVID-19 deaths, and 10 persons who have recovered. 

— Kerala has tested 13,339 samples so far, with 364 people testing positive. The state has recorded 2 COVID-19 deaths, while 124 persons have recovered. 

—Tamil Nadu has tested 8410 samples so far, with 911 people testing positive. The state has recorded 9 COVID-19 deaths, while 27 persons have recovered. 

— Telangana has not provided numbers regarding samples tested. The state has 487 positive cases, 12 COVID-19 deaths and 45 persons who have recovered. 

— Karnataka has tested 7975 samples, with 207 people testing positive. The state has recorded 6 COVID-19 deaths, while 31 persons have recovered. 

— Maharashtra has tested 33,093 samples, with 1574 testing positive. The state has recorded 97 COVID-19 deaths, while 125 people 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 now been expanded. It announced on Thursday that it will be testing 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, as of April 2, 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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