Karnataka government’s Covid-19 technical advisory committee (TAC) has advised the State to strengthen the testing infrastructure and scale up testing rapidly.
TAC also advised the State government to prioritise testing among the vulnerable populations and high-risk groups for initiating early treatment and minimising progression to severe disease.
The note signed by MK Sudharshan, Chairman, TAC, said “We recommend that the testing be increased in a phased manner and follow the prioritisation of the persons for testing based on high risk — patients with SARI, persons with symptoms of Covid-19, symptomatic healthcare staff, high-risk primary contacts. Moderate persons in containment zones, elderly with chronic health conditions, people with co-morbid conditions, history of travel from Covid areas.
Low risk – pregnant women, persons attending OPD in hospitals, vendors at vegetable markets, bus conductors, auto drivers, congregate settings like markets, malls and retails stores, bus stops, railway stations.
The report titled ‘Testing strategy for effective containment of Covid-19 pandemic in karnataka state’, signed by 12 TAC members further said “For any public health programme to be successful, operational targets need to be fixed. However, these targets shall be realistic and meaningful.”
At present there is a need to assess the resources available at hand and accordingly fix targets that are practical and achievable. To achieve this desired target, it is essential to ramp up resources in terms of manpower, equipment, training and transport.
The TAC report said “At present in certain sections of the society, there is a fear to undergo Covid-19 testing for various reasons. To ramp up testing, it is very important that the government engages the media and press to alleviate fears, reassure people and encourage them to undergo testing.”
Stressing the importance of testing, TAC said when most people with infection are identified, tested and isolated, it will be able to interrupt the transmission to a great extent. This will result in early and timely management of Covid cases and prevent progression to severity thus saving many lives. Therefore it is recommended to increase the number of tests to be done.
As on August 23, Karnataka has tested 34,659 persons per million population with a test positivity rate of 11.5 per cent. In India, other States such as Delhi are doing 70,871 tests per million, while Andhra Pradesh is doing 61,672 tests per million. Countries such as South Korea, Germany and New Zealand have managed to flatten the curve by efficient testing and other control measures. For example Germany has conducted more than 1.2 lakh tests per million and successfully contained the transmission.
The Central government and WHO recommended that test positivity rate should be within 5 per cent. The coronavirus transmission is spreading to tier II cities and rural areas. “Here we need to gradually ramp up testing significantly as high as 75,000 to 1 lakh tests per million population.”