3,86,791 Covid-19 tests conducted in India so far: ICMR

Dr Raman R Gangakhedkar, head scientist of ICMR, said of the 37,000 tests conducted on 18 April, 29,287 tests were done in the labs of the ICMR network.

Representational image | A doctor wearing personal protective equipment (PPE) places a saliva swab into a test tube for analysis during coronavirus symptom tests in Germany | Photographer: Krisztian Bocsi | Bloomberg

New Delhi: The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) on Sunday said that a total of
3,86,791 COVID-19 tests have been conducted so far in the country. Out of these tests, over 37,000 tests were conducted on April 18 out of which 29,287 tests were done in the labs of the ICMR network.

During a press briefing here, Dr Raman R Gangakhedkar, head scientist of ICMR, said: “We have done 3,86,791 tests so far. Yesterday 37,173 tests were done, out of which 29,287 tests were done in the labs of the ICMR network. 7,886 tests were conducted in private sector labs.”

When asked about the claim of a group of scientists at Oxford University that the vaccine they have developed can work for COVID-19, Khedkar said: “A total of 5 groups have entered into the human phase after passing the animal phase.”

“As we have said that 70 different groups are working on the vaccine for the virus and this is one group. There are also four more groups, who have entered the human phase after passing the tests on animals. Every scientist is optimistic. We all need to stay optimistic too. If it gets success, we all will have the benefit of this,” he said.