No community transmission yet, 500 samples test negative for Covid-19: ICMR

The director general of the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), Balram Bhargava, said on Tuesday that the country's apex health research body had not discovered any evidence of community transmission of Covid-19 yet and that all 500 random samples had tested negative for coronavirus. 

"We at ICMR are regularly monitoring for community transmissions. Our labs are looking at random samples of patients who suffer from influenza like illnesses/ severe acute," he said. ICMR had collected 1020 random samples nationally between March 1 and 15. The results of the remaining 520 samples will be available Wednesday, March 18.

Bhargava further said that ICMR has activated more laboratories to test for COVID-19 and revised the testing criteria.

"ICMR has been approached by several private players who want to contribute and talks are on with 51 National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories (NABL) accredited private laboratories to understand the modalities of increasing access to the test in the endeavour to prepare for future," he said.

The ICMR has equipped 72 of its laboratories to test for the pandemic disease. In addition to these labs, 49 more under organisations like Council of Scientific & Industrial Research, Department of Biotechnology, and Defence Research, Development Organisation would be equipped to test for coronavirus by end of this week, Bhargava said.

The ICMR will also be setting up two testing locations (NCR and Bhubaneswar) for high throughput diagnostic systems for exponentially increasing rapid diagnosing of the respiratory ailment.

These systems can test up to 1400 samples daily, he said.

He also appealed to all private laboratories to offer Covid-19 diagnosis free of cost.

The ICMR has also revised the testing criteria for Covid-19 under which an individual who had come in direct close physical contact of laboratory confirmed positive case, has a history of travel in last 14 days to high risk Covid-19 affected countries and develops symptoms like fever, cough and difficulty in breathing should immediately contact the health ministry's helpline for testing.

"In addition to these conditions, if a healthcare worker managing respiratory distress/severe acute respiratory illness shows symptoms of acute respiratory illness they should get a laboratory test for Covid-19.

"If these cases are tested positive, then they should be isolated and treated as per the standard protocols," Bhargava said.