Coronavirus update: WHO stresses on importance of testing as cases in India surge to 125

Widespread testing for coronavirus will help governments know the real figures. Infected individuals can be isolated and treated at the earliest and this significantly reduces the risk to other people.

By: Jahnavi Sarma | | Updated: March 17, 2020 1:22 pm

Widespread testing will help governments know the real figures. Infected individuals can be isolated and treated at the earliest and this significantly reduces the risk to other people. @Shutterstock

According to latest reports, India now has 125 positive cases of which 22 are foreign nationals. This comes a day after the World Health Organisation emphasis the importance of universal testing for the coronavirus. According to WHO Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, “Without testing, coronavirus cases could not be isolated, and the chain of infection would not be broken.” He further said that each and every suspected case of the coronavirus infection must be tested to contain the spread of the disease.

Challenges to more testing

But, unfortunately, most countries do not have enough testing facilities. With rapid surge in cases putting the healthcare system of most countries under severe stress, some countries so far have been selective in their testing. Moreover, all countries do not have the technical expertise to handle testing of this magnitude. They may also not have the resources to so.

According to many, the US and India are not testing enough people. This is probably why India has such a low rate of people with coronavirus people despite having such a dense population. India is testing only people with symptoms and those with contact or travel history. But the Indian Council of Medical Research has started random testing to check for community transmission.

‘You can’t fight a fire with a blindfold’ says @WHO chief @DrTedros renews call to countries to ‘test, test, test’ all cases of suspected infection.

Full update in our UN News in Brief: https://t.co/4ggWXlKjBL

— UN News (@UN_News_Centre) March 16, 2020

Benefits of widespread testing

Selective testing is unfortunate because. To have a clearer idea of how many people have the infection, it is necessary to have a better picture of the magnitude of the crisis. Widespread testing will help governments know the real figures. Infected individuals can be isolated and treated at the earliest and this significantly reduces the risk to other people. This new strain of the coronavirus is very contagious. It can spread to 2 to 3 other people on an average from one infected person. So, widespread testing will help dig out the hidden cases and this will help the authorities to take proper action.

WHO guideline on testing

The WHO, in its interim guidance on “Laboratory testing for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in suspected human cases” on March 2, said that the “decision to test should be based on clinical and epidemiological factors and linked to an assessment of the likelihood of infection. PCR [polymerase chain reaction] testing of asymptomatic or mildly symptomatic contacts can be considered in the assessment of individuals who have had contact with a COVID-19 case. Screening protocols should be adapted to the local situation.”

Published : March 17, 2020 11:07 am | Updated:March 17, 2020 1:22 pm

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