ICMR tells states to scale up rapid antigen testing

NEWDELHI: The chief of the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has asked states to scale up testing in districts, using the antigen-based method. The medical body also told states to identify centres that will conduct these tests, saying it had received requests from public sector undertakings (PSUS), government and private facilities, temples and others to initiate antigen-based testing for the diagnosis of coronavirus.

“With the use of antigen tests, more and more tests are being carried out. It is absolutely necessary that all such testing data is uploaded… all government hospitals/labs and all private NABH/ NABL hospitals and labs may initiate antigen testing… ICMR has been receiving multiple requests from various public sector units, small private/government facilities, temples etc. for initiating this testing,” Dr Balram Bhargava, director-general, ICMR wrote on Thursday.

They created a set of common log-in credentials for each district, to avoid organisations, labs or hospitals having to enter data of all confirmed cases separately on the ICMR portal.

The states have also been directed to link each identified antigen testing facility with

RT-PCR centre to conduct confirmatory tests. Rapid antigen detection is non-confirmatory.

Those who test negative could be tested through an RT-PCR test for confirmation. RT-PCR tests are considered the gold standard of Covid-19 testing.

States have been directed to appoint nodal person to ensure all testing criteria is adhered to by the state and the designated facilities. Dr Bhargava directed states that all facilities, both government and private, that are capable of performing antigen-based tests for Covid-19 should be assessed and approved.

“… algorithm for interpreting the antigen test should be followed wherein all positives can be labeled as true positives and symptomatic negatives should be subjected to RT-PCR... all testing points should be aptly linked.”

Symptomatic patients who return negative results will be tested at the RT-PCR facility linked to the antigen test centre.

“District-wise login credentials should be shared with all antigen testing sites (government and private) so that data can be entered into the ICMR portal on a real-time basis... ensure aforementioned steps to tackle the Covid-19 pandemic, so that precious lives are saved, and livelihoods are protected, too,” wrote Dr Bhargava.

NEWDELHI: Four states in eastern India have emerged as the biggest concerns for the Narendra Modi government in tackling the Covid-19 crisis.

West Bengal, Odisha, Assam and Bihar have shown high case positivity rates despite low levels of testing, and the emergence of new virus clusters and several new cases within containment zones have underlined gaps in containment strategy.

According to senior government officials, West Bengal has recorded an average of 1,600 new cases a day in the last two weeks and the count for the last five days alone constitute 90% of all active cases in the state.

In the same period, Bihar has recorded an average of 450 cases a day, and 80% of its total active cases have come over the past week. Patna, Nalanda, Bhalagpur, Begusarai, Munger and Gaya are among the districts reporting a large number of cases. In Assam, 80% of all active cases have been recorded in the last 14 days while Odisha has reported an average of 500 cases for the past four weeks now.

Ganjam district — home to CM Naveen Patnaik’s constituency Hinjili — accounts for 37% of all virus cases in Odisha.

While all four states have a lower death rate than the national average, officials feel they need to do much more. They have been asked to plan better containment strategy, among other things.