Odisha among bottom three states in RT-PCR COVID-19 tests

BHUBANESWAR: Odisha has cut a sorry figure in terms of conducting RT-PCR tests for detecting coronavirus infections with the State remaining among the bottom three large states of the country where such tests, considered gold standard for Covid-19 diagnosis, have been abysmally low.

As per the data tabled in the Parliament, the number of RT-PCR tests for detection of Covid-19 cases in Bihar, Telangana and Odisha is less than 20 per cent (pc) of total tests carried out till February 9.

While the share of RT-PCR tests is only 19.7 pc in Odisha, it is lowest 14.79 pc in Bihar and 15.52 pc in Telangana. Of the total 75,76,249 tests conducted in Odisha, only 14,92,264 were through RT-PCR and the rest 60,24,881 were rapid antigen tests (RATs). This despite the repeated instructions by the Centre for conduct of at least half the tests through RT_PCR methods so that more cases can be detected and the spread can be slowed down through appropriate  measures.

States like Tamil Nadu and Rajasthan have performed stupendously well on this aspect with 98.61 pc and 98.05 pc RT-PCR tests respectively. The total number of tests conducted in Tamil Nadu and Rajasthan are 1.57 crore and 53.42 lakh respectively. Uttar Pradesh has conducted highest 2.93 crore tests, including 1.27 crore RT-PCR and 1.6 crore RATs. Six other states have so far tested more than one crore samples each. Seventeen states and UTs have carried out more RT-PCR tests than the national average of 49.06 pc. 

They include Karnataka, Maharashtra, West Bengal, Madhya Pradesh, Haryana, Punjab, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Nagaland and Sikkim. According to the reports laid in the Lok Sabha, Odisha witnessed a significant rise in the positivity rate in July, August, September and October last year. While the test positivity rate (TPR) was highest 10 pc in July, it was 8 pc in September, 5.6 pc in October and 5.2 pc in August.

Odisha among bottom 3 states in RT-PCR tests

The TPR was 1.3 pc in May, 4.5 pc in June, 2.2 pc in November, 1.2 pc in December and one pc in January. The TPR was higher than the national average of 7.8 pc in September. The TPR, though, has slipped below one per cent since January, but the fact that the RT-PCR tests have gone down considerably raises the question of missing cases.

“The Covid-19 danger has not passed. It is still lurking. The State should continue to be on guard, but the standard of tests is not indicating any such alertness on its part,” said a health expert. Meanwhile, only 59 new cases were reported from 15 districts  on Saturday taking the total case to 3,36,101. So far, 1,910 people have died in the disease and active cases stand at 687.