Anantapur: Delay in test results adding to spread of pandemic

Anantapur: As the coronavirus is spreading rapidly, now the biggest challenge for the medical authorities is clinical tests and delivery of test results without delay.

The system has failed, as the results of the tests are being delayed which is contributing to a spike in positive cases, as the tested people coming in contact more people and social mingling. At the end when people are informed that they are 'covid positive'.

The people who are waiting for their Covid test results are contributing to spread of the virus.

During the first covid-19 wave, test results used to be delivered in 24 hours. In the past testing was sped up by following a multi-pronged approach and clinical systems like Rapid Kits and Antigen kits were in place and test results were declared in 24 hours. But now the government abandoned the kits as its results are not reliable.

The virology laboratory in the Anantapur Medical College is the only lab for conducting Covid tests and no other lab is not available in other parts of the district. The virology lab can conduct 6,000 tests a day.

On an average 1,000 new cases are being added daily. The lab receives 10,000 to 12,000 samples a day. So, every day a backlog of 4,000 to 5,000 cases are adding up to the pending list and are therefore inordinately delaying test results leading to people taking it easy and indulging in negligent behaviour. On any given day there are more than 12,000 samples waiting for testing and results.

There are complaints of test results declaration taking 3-4 days and, in some cases, nearly a week.

Complaints persist on delay in creation of ID for those who are tested due to server problems,when server problems arise, people in mandals are rushing to district head quarter hospital.

The district occupied fifth place in Coviddeaths. During the past fortnight in April 10,000 new cases had been registered.