By TIOL News Service

NEW DELHI, AUG 24, 2020: A key component in India's response to the COVID-19 pandemic has been early identification of the positive cases by timely and aggressive TESTING. Prompt identification and isolation synced with efficient treatment have led to the rising number of recoveries and low and declining mortality due to COVID-19.

India has tested 3,59,02,137 so far. With 6,09,917 tests conducted in the last 24 hours, India is on its resolved drive to increase its testing capacity.

Easy access to testing through expanded diagnostic lab network across the country has given a substantial boost to the present numbers. As a result of these focussed actions, the Tests Per Million (TPM) have seen a sharp increase to 26,016. The TPM continues to maintain the constant upward trend.

India has also seen a rise in the tests per million per day, as advised by WHO in its Guidance Note on “Public Health Criteria to Adjust Public Health and Social Measures in the Context of COVID-19”. WHO has advised that a country needs 140 tests/day/ million population as a measure for comprehensive surveillance for suspected COVID19 cases.

A prominent determinant of the evolving testing strategy is the steadily widening diagnostic lab network in the country. This has significantly grown to 1520 labs today, including 984 labs in the government sector and 536 private labs. These include:

• Real-Time RT PCR based testing labs: 785 (Govt: 459 + Private: 326)

• TrueNat based testing labs: 617 (Govt: 491 + Private: 126)

• CBNAAT based testing labs: 118 (Govt: 34 + Private: 84)