News Analysis India

Tag: RT PCR test

  • COVID: People entering Sikkim need to produce negative RT-PCR test report

    By PTI

    GANGTOK: The Sikkim Government has made it mandatory for all persons entering the Himalayan state to produce a negative RT-PCR report conducted within 72-hours prior to the date of entry.

    A Home department notification issued on Monday said in case a person cannot produce an RT-PCR negative test report he/she has to undergo a rapid antigen test at all entry check posts and Pakyong Airport.

    It said officials of the Government of India on official tours, Army personnel on duty, officers of the state government on official tours and election duty shall be exempted from this requirement.

    Drivers/conductors/helpers of commercial and passenger vehicles who commute daily shall be exempted.

    It said workers and technicians working with pharma industries, power projects, railway project and other such projects where workers can be quarantined on-site, may be permitted to enter the state subject to the condition that in case negative RT-PCR is not available, such workers will be on on-site quarantine for seven days with due information to the district administrations.

  • Test everyone with Covid symptoms, increase RAT booths: States told amid rising Omicron cases

    Express News Service

    NEW DELHI: As India inches towards a possible third wave of the Covid cases, the country’s top health administrators on Friday wrote to state chief secretaries asking them to get rapid antigen testing booths opened at government and private hospitals in the maximum number possible, doing away with the accreditation criteria.

    As of now, India has a network of 3,117 molecular testing laboratories, which includes 2014 RT-PCR, 941 TruNat, 132 CBNAAT and 30 other testing platforms, said the letter jointly written by Union health secretary Rajesh Bhushan and ICMR director general Balram Bhargava.

    The estimated national daily molecular testing capacity is more than 20 lakh per day.

    The officials wrote that based on the previous experience, it has been observed that if the number of cases rises above a certain threshold, RT-PCR based testing leads to delays in confirming diagnosis due to its turnaround time of about 5-8 hours.

    ALSO READ | ‘Hospitalisation rising, Omicron can overwhelm health systems’: WHO chief scientist issues warning

    “Therefore, you are encouraged to increase testing by the widespread use of RATs in such specific situations where RT-PCR testing poses a challenge,” said the letter.

    The states have been advised to upscale testing for Covid19 in the state by fully utilising the existing molecular testing capacity. In addition, said the letter, the states should expedite procurement of necessary testing equipment and establish BSL-2 laboratory infrastructure from the funds sanctioned to them by the Union health ministry under the emergency Covid19 response plan.

    The government said that multiple RAT booths must be set up in identified geographies and operationalised on a 24X7 basis to offer widespread testing and easier access to people.

    “RATs may be allowed at government and private healthcare facilities including all hospitals, dispensaries nursing homes, clinics, district hospitals, primary health centres. No accreditation is required for undertaking RAT by any healthcare facility,” said the letter.

    It also said that the use of self or home tests may be encouraged for symptomatic individuals adding that PPP models may be explored to establish innovative and convenient testing centres to augment testing in an expeditious way.

    In India so far, 7 such home tests have been approved.

    The letter says that during the current upsurge, any individual presenting with fever with or without cough, headache, sore throat, breathlessness, bodyache, the recent loss of smell or taste, fatigue and diarrhoea should be considered a suspected Covid19 patient and must be tested.

  • Amid fear of new Covid strains, RT-PCR test compulsory for those arriving from 7 more nations

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: Amid fear of new COVID-19 strains, the RT-PCR test is compulsory for passengers arriving from seven more countries, including South Africa, Bangladesh and China, the Centre said on Thursday.

    In a letter to all states and Union territories (UTs), the government said considering reports of new mutations in SARS-CoV-2 and rising number of Variants of Concern (VOCs) and Variants of Interest (Vols) globally, seven countries have been added to the list of countries whose travellers will have to get another RT-PCR test done upon landing at Indian airports apart from the one they need to get before embarking on the flight.

    These seven countries are South Africa, Bangladesh, Botswana, China, Mauritius, New Zealand and Zimbabwe.

    In earlier guidelines issued in February, passengers from only the United Kingdom, Europe and the Middle East had to get the RT-PCR test done again upon landing at Indian airports.

    The Centre also asked states/UTs to ensure strict compliance to these guidelines so that the import of Vols and VoCs to India from other countries may be prevented.

    “The states/UTs must also strengthen their Whole Genome Sequencing (WGS) activities being coordinated through the Indian SARS-CoV-2 Consortium on Genomics (INSACOG) network of laboratories, by sending a fixed percentage of samples of positive cases among international travellers for genome sequencing to INSACOG Genome Sequencing Laboratories tagged with them,” Union health secretary Rajesh Bhushan said in the letter.

    Speaking at a press conference, NITI Aayog member (Health) V K Paul noted that although the risk of mutants will exist, tools of testing, tracking, vaccination, clinical preparedness and COVID appropriate behaviour have to be strongly used.

    “The impact of mutants, whether it is about severity of disease or about transmissibility, is something that we understand systematically and INSACOG has huge capacity and it has been strengthened over time and using it we will look after it. The screening of international travellers from a genetic sequencing point of view is one of the most critical protocols and pillars,” he said.

    ICMR Director General Balram Bhargava said a mutant found in Columbia is presently classified as a mutant of interest.

    “We are closely observing it and serious disease or rapid spread of it has not been seen, but with time we will be able to tell more about it,” he said.

  • SC to take up fresh plea seeking to fix maximum rate for RT-PCR test to Rs 300

    By PTI
    NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court is scheduled to take up on Wednesday a fresh plea seeking direction to the Centre and states to fix the maximum rate for the RT-PCR test to Rs 300 uniformly all over India.

    A three-judge bench comprising Justices D Y Chandrachud, L Nageswara Rao and S Ravindra Bhat will take up the plea which also seeks early refund of the additional amount charged for the COVID-19 test.

    “The unofficial figures infected and deaths due to Covid are many more times since this second wave affected the villages in remote areas and the RT-PCR test could not be conducted in the remote areas and in Urban areas also there was a waiting of three to four days for the RT-PCR reports after the sample is taken.

    “Those with high fever or other symptomatic ailments who were unable to go to the private or Government RT-PCR testing centre, there was a waiting of two to three days for home collection of the sample by the Private Labs, while the total process of test in the Lab takes one and a half hour i,e only 90 minutes time in completing the test,” the plea said.

    The plea referred to the apex court’s order on November 24, 2020, and said the cost of the kit was around Rs 200 and now the cost of the RT-PCR kit has gone down to around Rs 110 and with all other Lab expenses, it comes to Rs 150.

    Therefore RT-PCR test should not cost more than Rs 300 which includes 100 per cent profit to the private labs, it said.

    The petitioner advocate Ajay Agrawal had earlier sought a direction to the governments to fix the maximum rate for the RT-PCR (real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction) test to uniformly across the country, instead of Rs 900 to Rs 2,800 as fixed by different state governments, Union Territories and NCT of Delhi.

    “There is no other cost as the machines used of RT-PCR tests are already there with the laboratories as they conduct a large number of tests.

    And the matter is concerned with 135 crore citizens of the country as everybody worried with the coronavirus and forced to get their test done at this exorbitant price,” it said.

    It alleged that the owner of the private laboratories and hospitals are using the calamity as an opportunity for minting “crores and crores of rupees”.

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  • CCMB’s dry swab test cheaper, results akin to RT-PCR tests: Scientists

    Express News Service
    NEW DELHI: The dry swab RT-PCR test, that could cut down testing cost by four times and ramp up testing by 3 fold, does not show variance from standard testing method, said scientists.

    The CSIR-CCMB team tested the stability of coronavirus samples on dry swabs, showing that the dry swabs can be stored in around 25 degree celsius and transported for up to 24 hours and needs no requirement of cold chain thereby cutting costs.

    The samples are also stable for up to 3 days at 4 degree Celsius and the test results are comparable to that of the liquid Viral Transport Medium (VTM RNA), used at present. The study on temporal stability of the two strains of SARS-199 CoV-2 at two  different  temperatures indicates that, for shorter distance transportation cold chains can be avoided and the dry swab samples with low viral load also are stable at RT for 24 hours. 

    The dry swab method is expected to hold similar advantages in case of other emerging variants of SARS-CoV-2 as indicated by multiple sewage surveillance and sequencing studies. 

    ALSO READ |  CSIR, Apollo to launch dry swab Covid-19 test

    “The rapid spread and evolution of various strains of SARS-CoV-2, the virus responsible for COVID-19, continues to challenge the disease controlling measures globally. In this scenario, testing of maximum population in less time and minimum cost with existing diagnostic amenities is the only possible way to control the spread of the virus,” said the CCMB team in a paper in preprints.

    The results collectively suggest that dry swab samples are stable at RT for 24 hours and the detection of SARS-CoV-2 RNA by RT-PCR do not show variance from VTM-RNA. This extraction free, direct RT-PCR method holds phenomenal standing in the present life-threatening circumstances due to SARS-CoV-2. As a measure to cut cost incurred per test, we  optimised the minimum final concentration of proteinase K that can produce reliable results.  

    “This evidently suggests that the throughput of the tests can be increased four times in addition to bringing down the cost by four times. In conclusion, the dry swab method facilitates multiple advantages at the present critical time while the testing facilities  are failing to cater the requirements. With the  present testing facilities and resources, the dry swab method can increase the throughput of a lab by three-folds,” it said.  

  • COVID-19: Gujarat makes RT-PCR test must for Kumbh returnees

    By PTI
    JAMNAGAR (Gujarat): People returning to Gujarat after attending the Kumbh Mela in Haridwar will have to undergo an RT-PCR test before they are allowed to enter their respective cities and villages, Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani said on Saturday.

    The ongoing Kumbh, which has seen lakhs of people from different parts of the country and seers attending the auspicious event in large numbers, has drawn flak from various quarters as the number of COVID-19 cases has zoomed at a rapid pace in the past few weeks.

    The event has also reported the coronavirus cases in large numbers.

    “Collectors of all districts in Gujarat have been directed to keep a watch on the Kumbh Mela returnees and enforce a nakabandi’ (security checking) to prevent their entry in their hometowns without undergoing an RT-PCR test,” Rupani told reports in Jamnagar.

    He said every returnee from the Kumbh congregation will have to undergo the RT-PCR test in Gujarat.

    “Officials have been directed to isolate those people who are found infected during the testing,” the CM added.

    “(To stem the spread of the virus) the people who went to attend the Kumbh Mela will not be given entry into their hometowns or villages without undergoing tests.

    Collectors of all the districts have been directed to identify the Kumbh returnees,” said Rupani.

    The CM along with his deputy Nitin Patel was in Jamnagar to review the coronavirus situation along with the local MP, MLAs and senior officials.

    Rupani also said 25,000 to 30,000 hospital beds were added in a very short period across Gujarat to treat coronavirus positive patients.

    “At present, there are 75,000 beds at various facilities in Gujarat,” the chief minister said.

    Acknowledging the shortage of hospital beds in cities and the difficulties faced by people, Rupani said 10,000 more beds will be added in the next 15 days.

    ‘In Jamnagar too, we will add 370 beds very soon.

    We will also increase the number of ambulances and the mortuary vans soon,” he added.

    Gujarat on Friday added the highest number of 8,920 new coronavirus positive cases in a day, taking the tally to 3,84,688, while a record 94 patients died due to the infection which raised the toll to 5,170, as per the state health department.

  • RT-PCR test mandatory for people entering Rajasthan; DMs can impose night curfew

    By ANI
    JAIPUR:  Rajasthan government has made the RT-PCR test mandatory for people entering the state and those travelling outside.

    According to the Rajasthan government, amid a surge in COVID cases, RT-PCR test mandatory for people entering the state and those travelling outside. Classes 1 to 9 will remain suspended.

    District Magistrates can impose night curfews but they will be required to seek the government’s permission for curfew before 8 pm and after 6 am, as per the state government.

    It further stated, Excluding the takeaway and delivery services, restaurants should abide by the night curfew. Not more than 100 people will be allowed at weddings while cinemas/theatres/multiplexes will be closed.

    Rajasthan reported 1729 new COVID-19 cases, 587 recoveries and two deaths on Sunday. The total cases of coronavirus so far in the state are 3,39,325, total recoveries are 3,23,618. The active cases are 12,878 and the death toll is at 2829/

  • RT-PCR must at Maha Kumbh, says Uttarakhand HC

    By Express News Service
    DEHRADUN:  The Uttarakhand High Court on Wednesday directed that RT-PCR test report will be mandatory for everyone visiting Haridwar for the Mahakumbh.

    A division bench of Chief Justice RS Chauhan and Justice Alok Verma said the state government should ensure that SOPs issued by the Centre and state are strictly implemented.

    The government must ensure that no pilgrim/visitor is allowed to enter the Haridwar and Rishikesh Kumbh Mela areas and the state “until and unless the person carries a certificate indicating he/she is not Covid-19 positive”.