India’s Current Testing Guidelines
Finally, let us now take a look at what guidelines are being implemented in our country, & what they should be replaced with instead. Currently, a positive case can be listed purely on the basis of a PCR Positive test or a Rapid Antigen Positive Test, without the person having any symptoms.
In Mumbai, a daily target of compulsory 47,800 Rapid Antigen Tests RAT has been set. The BMC is mandatorily conducting random RAT’s at crowded places like malls, railway stations (for inbound trains), Maharashtra state road transport corporation bus depots, ‘khau gullies’, hawkers, market places, tourist places, and various government offices.
These tests are happening regardless of the persons having symptoms or not, & if an asymptomatic individual is found to be positive, he will be treated as a case. People who refuse the test would be prosecuted under the British Era Epidemic Diseases Act.
The testing being done in different states in our country is happening at different rates, which is a factor that people should consider when comparing the situation between different places. This got a rare mention in a Business Standard article from 9th April 2021 titled “Election fever? States holding elections slow down Covid-19 testing”, which goes into how states which were holding elections kept their testing rates low during those periods. This shows how these tests could be used as a tool to manipulate people as per political agendas.
Across India, the ICMR recommends routine screening of containment zones & screening at entry points. RAT or PCR to be performed on all symptomatic individuals, all asymptomatic high & direct risk contacts of a lab confirmed case & all asymptomatic high-risk individuals.
On 9th April, Prime Minister Modi asked for 100% testing in containment zones and the tracing of at least 30 contacts within 72 hours. He also said: “If testing leads to more positive numbers, let it be. Our target has to be 70% RT-PCR tests”
Different states in India have different rules for who requires what test. But most states require asymptomatic people to carry negative RT-PCR results with them in order to enter their state.
The ICMR recommended Cycle cut-off across India is 35, which according to a major paper referenced in our document here had a 97% false positive rate compared to gold standard viral culture!
If testing leads to more positive numbers, let it be.
- Prime Minister Modi