ICMR asks States not to use COVID-19 rapid test kits for 2 days

PTI, Apr 21, 2020, 9:50 PM IST

New Delhi: The government’s premier medical research organisation on Tuesday advised states not to use rapid test kits for the coronavirus, saying it will issue an advisory after field validations.

“We have received complaint from a state yesterday and so far discussed with three states. Too much variations have been reported in results of rapid test kits and RT-PCR kits,” said Dr Raman R Gangakhedkar, of the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR)

“These kits will be tested and validated in the field by our teams. We will issue a clear-cut advisory in two days. If problems are detected in batches, we will tell the companies for replacement,” he said at a press conference in Delhi.

He said that a total of 4,49,810 samples for COVID-19 infection have been tested until Tuesday of which 35,852 were done on Monday.

As many as 29,776 samples have been tested in 201 labs under the ICMR network, and 6,076 at 86 private laboratories, he said.

The Chairman of the 4th Empowered Group (to tackle COVID-19) said that the government has created a portal with the master database of healthcare professionals and volunteers.

“Till now, details of 1.24 crore human resources of various kinds have been added to it, he said.

Details of corona warriors in 20 categories and 49 sub-categories, who can contribute to COVID-19 management efforts, are available to states and union territories on the portal, he said

Lav Agrawal, the Joint Secretary in the Health Ministry, told the press conference that 18,601 positive cases have been reported across the country. As many as 3,252 people have been cured till now, he said, adding 705 of them recovered on Monday.

This takes the recovery percentage to 17.48, he said.