Reality of Coronavirus Test in India: Covid-19 Update

Confirmed Coronavirus cases in India is still less than many other countries. Is it because of lesser tests being conducted?
Besides being the largest bird, Ostrich is also known for its special characteristic to ignore adversity. And the way it does that is even more weird. Whenever an Ostrich senses trouble, it buries its head under the sand (or in the ground if possible) and this way it feels safe. The key here is that the trouble isn’t actually going away but the Ostrich is feeling safe although it actually isn’t. Is this safe for the Ostrich? Not at all!

India is probably going through a similar situation while dealing with Coronavirus. The number of confirmed cases here are well below many other countries. In fact, few states in India are reported to be untouched by the pandemic. But, is this true? Maybe not. Because, testing is not going on in India as it should have been. So, no testing means no problem!

About the Issue
India is currently following a ‘Highly Restricted Coronavirus Testing Protocol’. What this means is that if you have a foreign travel history (to countries that have been worst hit by Coronavirus) only then you would be tested otherwise not. Besides this, if you don’t have the aforementioned travel history but you’re found to be suffering from any of the symptoms of the infection such as fever, cough and difficulty in breathing, then you’ll be tested.

India is a country which usually does not maintain the same level of hygiene as the western countries. Now, when Covid-19 has devastated Italy and Spain, it was just looking miraculous for India to have escaped the pandemic by some margin. The reality is now coming to fore that this is because of the lower number of tests being conducted.

Why Lesser Tests?
Education is also a basic need and we all know that. But why is India lagging behind in case of literacy rate? The reason behind this is the missing of basic infrastructure. Now, when we’re talking about the spread of a pandemic viral infection and pondering why there are lesser number of tests being conducted in the country, the reason is same. The basic infrastructure is missing.

As per the reports, India is currently operating 72 labs where the suspects are being tested. Till the starting of this week only 9000 people have been tested. This number is crucial because World Health Organization is constantly urging the countries to ramp up their testing. Compare our testing frequency with South Korea which is testing around 12000 people per day!

What Lies Ahead?
World is worried by the spread of the pandemic and panic is clearly visible. But, it may not be a good idea to relax the testing because this may lead to unpleasant surprises. Government is planning to expand the testing facilities and other measures are being taken simultaneously. But, the question is has the damage been already done? Because, till the vaccination is available the situation might only get worse. Now, what would happen, we’ll have to wait and watch. We can only hope that the Coronavirus gets finished soon.

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