Government Set To Expand COVID-19 Testing In ‘Cold Spots’ Which Have Reported Zero Cases So Far

The Government is gearing up to widen the testing in clusters of 'cold spots' or areas which have not reported any cases of COVID-19 as of yet to ensure that no major COVID-19 cases are being overlooked or missed, reports Times of India.

The decision aims to widen the attention of the administration beyond just the identified hot spots of confirmed COVID-19 spread. These cold spot districts will witness a combination of pool and rapid testing being deployed to check for the presence of COVID-19.

Apart from this, the sampling exercise for the testing will be conducted on the basis of surveillance and tests which will be conducted on patients of influenza-like illnesses (ILIs).

The development gains significance as at least half of the nation's 720 districts are yet to reports a single confirmed case of COVID-19. Also, the expanded testing regime reflects the added capabilities of the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) to take up such a mammoth exercise.

It should be noted that the Government's testing strategy has witnessed significant evolution, with the strategy now including the conduction of COVID-19 testing using TruNat and CB-NAAT testing mechanisms which are otherwise used to test for tuberculosis.

It is also said to be adding machines which are available with the National AIDS Control Organisation (NACO) which operates under the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW).