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 15,23,213 samples have been tested as of 9 am on May 9. No further data was provided.

Here are the state-wise numbers as of 10 am on May 9:

— Andhra Pradesh has tested 1,56,681 samples out of which 1,54,794 were negative. The state reported a total of 1,887 cases, with 842 recoveries and 41 deaths as on May 8. 

— Kerala has tested 35,886 samples so far and of these, 35,355 have returned negative. The state has 504 confirmed cases of COVID-19, with 484 recoveries and 4 deaths.

— Tamil Nadu has tested 2,16,416 samples so far, with 6,009 people testing positive. 2,09, 495 samples tested negative and results of 912 samples are awaited. 1,605 people have recovered and 40 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 1,132 people have tested positive, with 727 recoveries. The state has recorded 29 deaths so far.

— Karnataka has tested 98,081 samples, with 753 people testing positive and 92,237 samples returning negative. The state has recorded 30 COVID-19 deaths, while 376 persons have recovered. 

— Maharashtra had tested 2,12,350 laboratory samples as on May 8, out of which 1,92,197 were negative and 19,063 tested positive till May 8. 731 people have died from the disease in the state, while 3,470 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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