Hyderabad: Unicellular organism ‘coronavirus’ has shaken the living existence across the globe. The year 2020 is going through the worst times as everything is at a halt, and everyone wishes that one magic and everything sets back to normal.
The new coronavirus is a respiratory virus. It is an infectious disease caused by a newly discovered ‘coronavirus’. The pathogen got its name due to the spiky crown (or corona in Latin) that you can see on its surface when you take a look at it underneath a microscope. The virus has no vaccine or medicine yet.
How important is testing?
Dr Eduardo Sanchez, an American Heart Association’s chief medical officer for prevention and a former state health commissioner, Texas said, “Whenever there is a major public health crisis like coronavirus the ideal response should be testing as early as possible. As it leads to quick identification of cases, quick treatment for those people and immediate isolation to prevent spread. Early testing also helps to identify anyone who came into contact with infected people so they too can be quickly treated.”
India against fighting Coronavirus
COVID-19 which was first identified in Wuhan, China is now a pandemic globally. Most parts of the world are under complete lockdown to curb and contain the spread of the highly contagious disease. As per the World Health Organization (WHO), COVID-19 has so far infected 5,596,550 people and has claimed 353,373 lives globally.
217 countries or territories or areas have been affected so far by the deadly virus.
On 30 January, India reported its first case of COVID-19 in Kerala, which rose to three cases by 3 February; all were students who had returned from Wuhan, China. later, affecting almost all the states in the country.
According to the medical experts the only solution to this gigantic problem is testing the population as early as possible and social distancing.
What did India do? How many test did it do?
The nation got its first COVID positive case in February. However, the always sleeping government had started taking steps against the pandemic in late March.
India had probably done two things; one is the national wide lockdown resulting in immense human loss especially the destruction to the migrants and secondly quarantine treatment.
On 22 March 2020, India observed a 14-hour voluntary public curfew at the instance of the Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
The government followed it up with lockdowns in 75 districts where COVID-19 cases had occurred as well as all major cities. Further, on 24 March, the Prime Minister ordered a nationwide lockdown for 21 days, affecting the entire 1.3 billion population of India. On 14 April, the prime minister extended the ongoing nationwide lockdown till 3 May.
On 1 May, lockdown across the country was further extended by two more weeks till 17 May. On 17 May, NDMA further extended the nationwide lockdown till 31 May. Dr V Ravi, Head of Neurobiology, National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences, said that up to 50 percent people in India would be infected by COVID-19 by the year-end if if further relaxations are introduced to lockdown rules after May 31.
The first according to the scientist from across the globe that testing is essential but the busy government had only done 1,19,000 test per day which might take 31 years to complete the test of the entire population.
States affected in India and there testing speed
Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Delhi, Gujrat, Telangana and Bihar continue to remain the hotspots for coronavirus in India, according to state-wise data. These states accounted for more than 70% of the total cases in India.
The statistic drawn from the present testing condition shows the period of time a state would take to complete the testing of its population.
The driven statistics by siasat.com shows how long would the entire testing for a state might take.According to the reports Telangana which has 3.52 crores of population and has been testing 400 people per day shall take 241 years.Meanwhile, Bihar would take the longest time to complete the testing of its 9.9 crores of population and has been doing 2000 tests perday.
Whereas, Delhi and Rajasthan which has 1.9 crores and 6.89 crores of population respectively might take 10 to 11 years to complete the testing the entire population if the testing speed remains 5,000 in Delhi and 16,000 in Rajasthan per day.
Even worse, is the testing speed per day in Maharashtra that is 6000 which has 11.42 crores of population shall take 52 years.Tamil Nadu which has 6.79 crores of population is doing 12,000 test per day might take 15 years to complete its entire population.
Ironically, Telangana needs to bulk its belts and increase its testing speed rapidly before it gets to late.
It’s time for India to increase its testing speed, isn’t it?
Only if the country’s testing speed increases to 10 – 12 lakhs per day then can India might take 3years to complete its examination for the entire country and then treatment might take even more.
Even worse, is that there is no medication or vaccine for the dreadful virus yet.
Imagine if the testing would take so long, then how long will the treatment take!!