Delhi Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal directed the state government Monday to test asymptomatic direct and high-risk contacts of confirmed Covid cases.
Addressing a virtual rally in Bihar, home minister Amit Shah Sunday said that the NDA will retain power in the state under the leadership of chief minister Nitish Kumar.
India now has nearly 40 Covid-19 apps, including Aarogya Setu. The purpose of these apps range from contact tracing to providing health information and issuing e-passes.
Karnataka CM B.S. Yediyurappa has said there is no ban on flights and trains to the state, a day after after his govt banned flights from certain states after a spike in Covid cases.
Economists say there are weaknesses in India’s GDP data. But statisticians claim the accusations are based on flawed understanding, saying while GDP has problems, the economists are looking in the wrong places.
Coaching centres for Army aspirants in Jhunjhunu are shutting down due to plummeting admissions in the face of a lack of job guarantees under Agnipath Scheme.
Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) permitted RT-PCR test for Covid-19 on a very narrowly defined segment of population. Test eligibility has been gradually expanded. It remains liberally available to policy makers irrespective of eligibility. But front line personnel, including health care personnel, have to meet eligibility criteria to avail it.
Non-compliance to ICMR’s testing protocol is dealt by revoking license & initiating criminal proceedings, such as filing of FIR etc. So, Indian test data is simply not comparable to countries offering test to their general population.
In early stages, restrictions on test eligibility, was ostensibly, due to limited testing capacity. That testing capacity got ramped up many times in couple of months, which is creditable. Recently, it is claimed that only half of testing capacity is utilized. But waiting time for test result after sample has been taken varies from 1.5-10 days. This sounds contradictory. ICMR could start sharing this information on a regular basis.
Standardization of any test or treatment protocol is a long drawn and tedious process. Fidelity of scientists issuing bureaucratic edicts is rarely to science. It remains to be seen whether relevant associations (of Virologists, Microbiologists, Emergency Physicians, Intensive Care Physicians) and watchdogs (such National Accreditation Board for Laboratories – NABL, National Accreditation Board for Hospitals – NABH, etc.) have the gumption to defend science.
Medical investigations exist to assist clinicians, not to dictate them.
So, the very idea that Indian policy on testing can be science guided is nothing but fairy tale.
An ostrich like refusal to face up to facts. How will Delhi reach 5.5 lac cases by the end of July without community transmission ? Not testing on the required scale has been one of our greatest failures in dealing with the pandemic.
Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) permitted RT-PCR test for Covid-19 on a very narrowly defined segment of population. Test eligibility has been gradually expanded. It remains liberally available to policy makers irrespective of eligibility. But front line personnel, including health care personnel, have to meet eligibility criteria to avail it.
Non-compliance to ICMR’s testing protocol is dealt by revoking license & initiating criminal proceedings, such as filing of FIR etc. So, Indian test data is simply not comparable to countries offering test to their general population.
In early stages, restrictions on test eligibility, was ostensibly, due to limited testing capacity. That testing capacity got ramped up many times in couple of months, which is creditable. Recently, it is claimed that only half of testing capacity is utilized. But waiting time for test result after sample has been taken varies from 1.5-10 days. This sounds contradictory. ICMR could start sharing this information on a regular basis.
Standardization of any test or treatment protocol is a long drawn and tedious process. Fidelity of scientists issuing bureaucratic edicts is rarely to science. It remains to be seen whether relevant associations (of Virologists, Microbiologists, Emergency Physicians, Intensive Care Physicians) and watchdogs (such National Accreditation Board for Laboratories – NABL, National Accreditation Board for Hospitals – NABH, etc.) have the gumption to defend science.
Medical investigations exist to assist clinicians, not to dictate them.
So, the very idea that Indian policy on testing can be science guided is nothing but fairy tale.
An ostrich like refusal to face up to facts. How will Delhi reach 5.5 lac cases by the end of July without community transmission ? Not testing on the required scale has been one of our greatest failures in dealing with the pandemic.