Inconsistent testing could hurt Kerala’s Covid battle as unlocking looms

On Friday, 1,09,520 tests were conducted in the state, of which 34,246 were RT-PCR and 73,541 were antigen tests. The state has relied more on antigen tests rather than RT-PCR tests.  
A resident waiting to enter into the containment zone near Salim Rajan Road as police closed the entrance due to triple lockdown rules. (Photo | Albin Mathew, EPS)
A resident waiting to enter into the containment zone near Salim Rajan Road as police closed the entrance due to triple lockdown rules. (Photo | Albin Mathew, EPS)

KOCHI: Bringing down the Test Positivity Rate (TPR) is now the top priority of the state government.

However, as the state is starting the unlock procedure step by step, the number of tests being conducted has also gone down. Experts are of the view that it is high time the state revised its testing strategy.

With the third wave of Covid imminent and vaccination drive in the doldrums, isolating and identifying Covid patients should be on the priority list, they say. According to them, more tests, at least 2 lakh per day, are called for.

On Friday, 1,09,520 tests were conducted in the state, of which 34,246 were RT-PCR and 73,541 were antigen tests. The state has relied more on antigen tests rather than RT-PCR tests.  

Lack of molecular lab facilities and trained technicians are the two main reasons cited for the low number of RT-PCR tests being conducted.

States such as Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka, which have been reporting high Covid cases, are still conducting on an average, 2.5 lakh, 1.8 lakh and 1.6 lakh Covid tests, respectively, on a daily basis.

“Testing conducted in the state is much less. Ideally over 2 lakh tests must be conducted to identify and isolate those who tested positive to prevent them from spreading the virus. The main problem with the state’s testing strategy is that it is not consistent in carrying out the tests. Rather than going up, the number of tests keeps coming down,” said Rijo M John, health economist, Centre for Public Policy Research (CPPR).

A revision in testing strategy and ensuring vaccinations for maximum number of the people before the third wave hits are vital to the state in the fight against the virus.

The highest number of Covid tests conducted was 1,63,321 on May 5, in which 63715 were RT-PCR and 97177 were antigen tests. The number had come down to 1,55,632 on May 6, and further down to 1,44,345 tests on May 7. 

“Compared to the other states, the facilities available in Kerala are limited. It is only last year that we started receiving Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) recognition for molecular labs. Before that, for each outbreak of virus infection, we used to sent the samples to Manipal Virology Institute for tests. Lack of civil infrastructure facilities, equipment and reagents required for the testing, and  unavailability of trained technicians for molecular labs, are main bottlenecks for the state,” said a city-based pulmonologist.

“The reliance on antigen tests has always been a matter of concern, due to doubts regarding its accuracy and consequent chances of missing out on identifying Covid positive samples. We should increase the number of tests or at least maintain consistency in the testing rate. Before the third wave, if we are able to isolate those testing positive -- even if by conducting more antigen tests due to the lack of facilities for conducting RT-PCR -- it will be a gamechanger for the state in its fight against the pandemic. The ideal strategy the state government should adopt now, is to vaccinate people irrespective of prioritisation. Otherwise, the situation that we will face may be far more grim,” said Gopikumar P, state secretary of IMA.

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