After receiving doubtful result complaints from several states including Rajasthan, the Centre has asked all state governments and medical departments to stop using the new rapid antibody test for COVID-19 for next two days. The Indian Council Of Medical Research (ICMR), the government medical body which leading the fight against coronavirus, in its latest advisory said it would investigate the issue of faulty rapid testing kits and would “definitely not ignore this defect”.
Reports said around 5 lakh Rapid Test kits were procured by the government and distributed around the country after the ICMR recommended that every resident in coronavirus hot-spots — or areas with a large number of cases — will be tested for the virus.
A Rajasthan government official said that state has stopped testing through the new rapid kits as it has only 5.4 per cent accuracy.
A total of 3,252 people have been cured of coronavirus in India so far, including 705 patients who were discharged on Monday, taking the recovery percentage to 17.48 per cent, the government informed on Tuesday. The Indian Council of Medical Research has meanwhile asked states not to use rapid test kits for a couple of days in the wake of reports from a few states that the tests were not accurate.
A total of 1,336 new cases of coronavirus have been identified which has taken the total number of the confirmed cases to 18,601 in the country, said Lav Agarwal, Joint Secretary, Union Health and Family Welfare Ministry on Tuesday.
Addressing a press conference here, Agarwal said, “With 1,336 new cases, there are 18,601 positive cases in India till now. So far, 3252 people have recovered including 705 people who recovered yesterday. This takes our recovery percentage to 17.48 per cent,” Agarwal said.
The Ministry has issued detailed guidelines to all the states that while focusing on COVID-19, all other services need to be provided.
“We have issued detailed guidelines to all states that while we focus on COVID-19, all other services need to be provided, be it for dialysis, HIV/cancer treatments etc. At the same time required infection management prevention should be in place,” he said. (ANI)
