Tamil Nadu needs to ramp up testing to contain coronavirus: Experts

The expert committee’s recommendation to ramp-up testing numbers considerably to contain the spread of the novel coronavirus notwithstanding, Tamil Nadu has not increased its testing capacity for the past few weeks as it continues to test only 10,500 to 12,000 individuals in a day.

However, the number of cases is increasing and this, experts say, is a clear indicator that the government should intensify its testing numbers to identify more positive cases, isolate them, trace their contacts, and thereby containing the spread of coronavirus.

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For instance, 1,149 of the 12,049 persons whose swab samples were collected tested positive on May 31, while the number of persons turning positive hit a new high of 1,162 on June 1 even though the number of persons tested on the day was 1,085 less than the previous day.

Though the number of testing labs in the state has increased from 46 on May 1 to 72 on June 1, the number of individuals tested has not increased significantly.

The exponential increase in the number of positive cases despite testing numbers not being raised, experts say, is not a good sign as it indicates “wide-spread prevalence” of the virus that has resulted in “community transmission” in certain parts of Chennai, which is exploding with over 15,000 cases.

The majority of these cases are from densely-populated areas of the city, where the testing numbers remain “extremely low” with just 3,000 to 4,000 persons being tested every day. Experts told DH that the numbers should be increased immediately laying stress on “focussed testing” especially within containment zones where the spread of the virus is much higher.

At last count on Tuesday, the state had 24,586 Coronavirus patients, including 197 deaths and 13,706 discharges. As many as 19,351 cases are from Chennai and its neighboring districts of Tiruvallur, Kanchipuram, and Chengalpattu, 1,675 persons who came from abroad and other states have tested positive.

“Without any doubt, testing needs to be increased and it has to be focussed testing with symptomatic and vulnerable like the elderly being tested more. The testing should be increased more within the containment zones where the prevalence of the virus is very high. If we are focussed, we can reduce the number of deaths and that is the goal,” Dr. P. Kuganantham, former Chennai City Health Officer and epidemiologist told DH.

Kuganantham and other members part of the team told the government twice in a fortnight that the number of tests should be increased and there should no reduction. However, the government does not seem to listen to the committee as the numbers have not been ramped up in the past few weeks.

However, the government says the testing numbers have not been reduced by flaunting the total samples tested which are over 5 lakh, the highest in the country.

A public health expert, who did not wish to be named, told DH that the testing numbers should be increased to 20,000 a day as the spread of the virus is rampant.

“We should compulsorily test all pregnant women before delivery, the vulnerable sections, and all symptomatic people. Only if we increase our testing numbers, we will be able to contain the spread of the virus. Also, people should take the necessary precautions and should not let the elderly out of their houses,” he said.

Though experts call for “increased and focussed testing” in Chennai, the testing numbers in the metropolis hover between 3,500 to 3,800 a day, a senior government official said. “The number of positive cases is increasing, and the only way forward is to conduct more tests. And we are aware that more tests would lead to more number of positive cases. We expect the trend to continue at least for the next week,” the official said.

Sumanth Raman, a physician by profession and a political commentator who keeps track of Covid-19 developments in the state, said he was clueless as to understand why the numbers have not been ramped up as yet, despite experts asking the government to do.

“The testing numbers have come down, in fact. Only one day, the number went up to 14,000 in May and it has come down. We test almost the same numbers every day, but the positivity rate goes up each day and this is what we have witnessed in the past few days. By not increasing testing as per recommendations of the ICMR and the expert committee, the state is potentially being pushed towards a health crisis,” Raman told DH.

Dr. J Amalorpavanathan, former director of the Institute of Vascular Surgery at the prestigious Madras Medical College, says the testing should be increased “manifold.”

“We have 72 labs and if we don’t increase our testing numbers, what is the point of having so many facilities. I really do not understand what is stopping the government from testing as many people as it can. Rampant testing needs to be done in areas where there is a high prevalence of the virus in Chennai at least,” he said.