Death Toll Cross 600-mark; ICMR Asks States Not to Use Rapid Test Kits for Two Days

Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) official on Tuesday confirmed that the states have been advised not to use new rapid antibody tests for COVID-19 for a period of next two days. In the wake of complaints that the kits were throwing invalid tests, the country’s nodal medical research body said that it will investigate the issue of faulty kits.

Raman R Gangakhedkar, head scientist, ICMR, in its daily press briefing, said that admitted that variation in RTPCR tests is high. In the next two days teams from ICMR’s eight institutes will be sent on ground, who will test and validate the kits, he added.

Owing to the inaccuracy in results, Rajasthan on Tuesday stopped using rapid testing kits for coronavirus, NDTV reported. Two days earlier, on Sunday, West Bengal’s Department of Health also complained of a “large number of ‘inconclusive’ results” by the testing kits which, according to the department, necessitated a “repeat ‘confirmatory’ test run”, thereby causing delay in producing final reports.

Compared to other tests, rapid testing kits take roughly 15 minutes to deliver results – crucial in increasing the current pace of COVID-19 testing in India.

Meanwhile, the number of infections continue to rise in the country. As on Tuesday evening till five, the cumulative figure of the virus has climbed to 18,985, among whom 15,122 are “active” cases in hospitals and 3,259 are cured, according to Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.

The death toll due to COVID-19, disease caused by the novel coronavirus has now reached 603. Unlike any other day since the nationwide lockdown rules were enforced last month in March, on Tuesday, the country also witnessed farmers, workers, youth and their families gather on their rooftops or doorsteps protesting against the damaging impact of Narendra Modi – led central government’s COVID-19 strategy.