In six days, Covid cases go up by 50%
Additional Chief Secretary (Health) attributes jump to increased testing of high-risk groups
Sushil Manav
Tribune News Service
Chandigarh, May 3
TB MACHINE NOW TESTS COVID SAMPLES
- The Karnal Health Department has started using CB-NAAT — the diagnostic machines used to test drug-resistant tuberculosis – for conducting Covid tests
- Using specific testing reagents and a cartridge, the machine has already tested 12 samples and given satisfactory results, as per the authorities
Authorities claim the CB-NAAT’s output is four samples an hour, which is faster and will thus ramp up testing
AdvertisementKarnal Civil Surgeon Dr Ashwani Ahuja said trial of the CB-NAAT machine after changing its cartridge was successful
With this machine, capacity to test samples has increased to around 400 a day in Karnal, he said — Parveen Arora
The sudden spike in the number of Covid cases in the state during the past one week notwithstanding, the Haryana Health Department seems unperturbed and maintains that this is due to increased testing.
From 294 positive cases last Tuesday evening (excluding 14 Italian nationals), the number increased sharply to 437 as of Sunday, an increase of 50 per cent in just six days. Fourteen more persons tested Covid-positive on Wednesday, 23 on Thursday, 27 on Friday, 25 on Saturday and a whopping 56 on Sunday. Also, two new deaths were reported during these six days.
Many of those who tested positive were from Bahadurgarh town of Jhajjar who contracted the infection from Delhi’s Azadpur Mandi or from other NCR towns that too have some connection with the National Capital.
Rajeev Arora, Additional Chief Secretary, Health Department, Haryana, however, said the spike was largely because of increased testing of samples after screening of high-risk individuals in the state.
“This higher number of cases is on account of inclusion of a large number of groups in the sampling. Vegetable vendors account for a large chunk of cases. Frontline health workers, police, sanitation and pharmacy workers, depot holders, journalists and newspaper vendors are also being covered in this sampling since their possibility of coming in contact with an infected person is high on account of the nature of their job,” said Arora.
He said besides these, people found with symptoms of severe acute respiratory infection (SARI) and influenza-like illness (ILI) during intensive screening were also being covered.
Data provided by the Health Department in its daily bulletins shows that from 26,148 RT-PCR (real-time reverse-transcript polymerase chain reaction) Covid tests till Wednesday, Haryana has been able to perform 35,278 tests till Sunday – an increase of 9,000 tests in six days.
This higher number of cases is on account of inclusion of a large number of groups in the sampling. Vegetable vendors account for a large chunk of cases.
Rajeev Arora, Additional Chief Secretary, Health Department
Given the fact that it takes nearly two days for the reports to come, the number of tests during these days is even higher as till Monday, the state had performed only 22,993 tests.
“CB-NAAT machines used to diagnose drug-resistant tuberculosis have been put to test Covid samples and we have procured special cartridges for the same. Four such machines will be put to use at Civil Hospital, Panchkula, and the rest in government medical colleges at Karnal, Khanpur Kalan in Sonepat and Nuh,” explained Arora.
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