Maharashtra, Gujarat, Delhi test more, see higher cases
NEWDELHI: Indian states worst hit by Covid-19 — particularly Delhi, Maharashtra and Gujarat — are also the ones that have tested higher than the national average and reported higher per-capita infections and deaths, according to an HT analysis of testing data for 10 states.
Another worrying trend that has emerged from data shows that a majority of the 10 states has seen a rise in positivity rate (percentage of tests that are positive) in the past few weeks despite no major spike in their rates of testing.
Delhi, which also has the highest testing numbers among the 10 states, has reported the highest number of cases and deaths per million population (1,262 and 33, respectively). Both figures are around seven times the national average of 360 and 3%, respectively. Maharashtra has also conducted 4,177 tests per million, significantly more than the national average of 3,291. Compared to the national average, it has 3.9 times the number of cases per million (637) and 4.7 times (22) the number of deaths per million.
Though absolute numbers show which regions have been worst-hit, it doesn’t accurately show the prevalence of the virus among the populace. So it becomes important to factor in the population with these numbers.
NEW DELHI: The states that have been the worst hit by the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) are also the ones that have tested higher than the national average and have reported higher percapita infections and deaths, according to an HT analysis of testing data in the 10 worst-hit regions, highlighting the need for widespread testing.
Another worrying trend emerges that a majority of these states have seen a rise in positivity rate (percentage of tests that are positive) in the past few weeks, despite no major spike in their rates of testing.
To be sure, the testing numbers reported in India are not of individuals tested, but of samples tested. This means that the actual positivity rate of these tests is not entirely accurate as people who have tested positive end up getting tested multiple times till they test negative, which would mean the positivity rate would be higher than calculated here.
PER CAPITA CALCULATIONS
Though absolute numbers show which regions have been worst-hit, it doesn’t accurately show the prevalence of the virus among the populace. So it becomes important to factor in the population with these numbers.
Delhi, with the highest testing numbers here, has also reported the highest cases and deaths per million (1,262 and 33 respectively). Both are around seven times the national average of 360 and 2.9 respectively.
Maharashtra has also conducted 4,177 tests per million, significantly more than the national average of 3,291. Compared to the national average, the state has 3.9 times the number of cases per million (637) and 4.7 times (22) the number of deaths per million.
RISING POSITIVITY RATE
While most of these states — particularly the five worst-hit — have not massively increased their testing in the past few weeks, their positivity rates have been steadily increasing. In Delhi, for instance, the positivity rate has tripled (from 6.5% to nearly 20%) in five weeks, while the average weekly test have only grown 1.6 times in the same period.
In Maharashtra, tests have increased by 1.6 times, while the positivity rate has more than doubled. Similar disproportionate increase is seen in Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Bihar.
Some states — Gujarat, West Bengal and Uttar Pradesh – however have not yet reported a spike in positivity rates, but the positivity rates haven’t dropped either.