Gzb: Covid-19 cases decline amid ramped up testing

In the past nine days, the Ghaziabad health department has ramped up testing over the preceding few weeks and found fewer Covidpositive cases, officials said.

Experts say this indicated that the district had crossed the peak.

Between April 15 and April 30, it had conducted an average of 5,506 daily tests (1,828 RTPCR, 3,678 antigen) giving 684 average daily cases. In the next fortnight, it conducted only 3,658 daily average tests (1,707 RTPCR, 1951 antigen) that yielded 738 average daily cases.

Then the target was increased to at least 2,900 daily RTPCR tests and 5,200 daily tests.

From May 16 till May 24, it has already conducted 5,228 daily average tests (2,974 RTPCR, 2,254 antigen) tests and returning 329 daily average cases - an average positivity rate (proportion of tests returning positive results) of 6.3%. Currently, the positivity rate stood at 10.36%, down from the peak of 19.3% on May 6.

“For about a month starting mid-march, we were short on testing kits, which is no longer the case. These numbers indicate that the spread of infection has come down,” said Dr NK Gupta, chief medical officer. “This is primarily due to partial curfew. Early treatment through faster detection also helped.”

Another official familiar with the development said that testing has also been increased in rural areas which was about 26% of overall testing till last week and now it is about 30%. “Since the positivity is less in rural areas, increase in testing in such segments will also result in decline in positivity,” the officer added.

Dr Ashish Agarwal, president of Indian Medical Association (Ghaziabad), said, “The declining figures indicate that the peak is over. Had the curfew been implemented earlier; it would have reduced number of cases and deaths.”