Random sampling not enough: WHO tells India

New Delhi: India is at stage 2 of the coronavirus outbreak involving local transmission and the government is testing 1,000 random samples to check whether the spread has progressed to community transmission - which would mean an exponential rise in cases.

Community transmission is the stage when patients not exposed to any infected person or with no history of travel to affected countries tests positive. The patients are unable to track the source of the infection.

In response to the World Health Organisation's "test, test, test" advice to nations, India has maintained that there is no immediate need to escalate testing in the country. However, WHO's Regional Director, has said random sampling is not enough to detect community transmission, according to NDTV report.

Meanwhile, the teen son of an IAS officer in Kolkata, who arrived from the UK, visited a mall and possibly came into contact with many before testing positive for coronavirus, becoming Bengal's first case. CM Mamata Banerjee lashed out at what she called an "irresponsible response" by those who "claim VIP status".

The student's mother, a senior bureaucrat in the state government, went to the secretariat and even chaired a meeting on coronavirus a day before the 18-year-old reported to hospital for a test. His father is a doctor. "You can't claim VIP status and avoid Covid 19 tests," a furious Mamata Banerjee said . "I welcome whoever is coming. But I am not welcoming the disease, sorry. You can't suddenly come from abroad and go off to shopping malls without getting tested and then 500 people get affected."