Need more coronavirus testing, say experts as cases cross 7 lakh mark in India

India recorded another grim milestone on Tuesday as the total number of coronavirus cases crossed the seven lakh mark after one crore samples were tested for COVID-19. Moreover, the death toll too breached the 20,000 barrier on the same day, the ministry of health and family welfare said.

In a significant development, the ICMR said that a cumulative total of 1,02,11,092 samples were tested up to July 6, with 2,41,430 samples being tested on Monday.

This means that over 10 million samples were tested so far across 1,100 testing centres in India. However, experts, as per media reports, were still unhappy with the number, suggesting that these ICMR-approved labs could perform at least 3.5 lakh tests in a single day.

“It is important to test more because you cannot devise strategies for the remaining 99% of the population by looking at statistics coming from just 1% of the country’s population,” Dr T Jacob John, former virology head at the Christian Medical College, Vellore, was quoted by a media report as saying.

India’s coronavirus infections increased to 7,19,665, while the death toll climbed to 20,160 with 467 persons succumbing to the disease in the last 24 hours.

Maharashtra reported the highest number of cases at 2,11,987, followed by Tamil Nadu at 1,14,978, Delhi at 1,00,823, Gujarat at 36,772, Uttar Pradesh at 28,636, Telangana at  25,733 and Karnataka at 25,317, according to the ministry data.

Of the total 20,160 deaths reported so far, Maharashtra accounted for the highest 9,026 fatalities, followed by Delhi with 3,115 deaths, Gujarat with 1,960, Tamil Nadu with 1,571, Uttar Pradesh with 809, West Bengal with 779, Madhya Pradesh with 617, Rajasthan with 461 and Karnataka with 401.

The number of recoveries stood at 4,39,947, while there are 2,59,557 active cases of COVID-19. Overall, 61.13 per cent of patients have recovered so far, the ministry said.

THE HUNT FOR VACCINE

Meanwhile, phase I human clinical trials for India’s first COVID-19 vaccine candidate Covaxin is expected to start next week. Over 1,100 people are likely to be enrolled in the first two phases of trials.

Several scientists have also said that COVID-19 is an airborne infection and smaller particles in the air can infect people, urging WHO to revise its recommendations.

-The Asian Age