World Health Organisation (WHO) in its Guidance Note on “Public Health Criteria to Adjust Public Health and Social Measures in the Context of COVID-19” has advised comprehensive surveillance for suspected cases.
WHO has advised that a country needs 140 tests per day per million population.
Testing in India
22 States/UTs in India are already conducting 140 and more tests per day per million.
States/UTs are being regularly advised to increase the testing capacity to match the WHO advised levels of testing.
RT PCR, TrueNat and CBNAAT
One of the factors strongly aiding the increasing numbers of COVID-19 tests in the country is the steadily growing network of labs for testing of COVID-19.
With 865 labs in the government sector and 358 private labs, the total number of testing labs is 1223, as on date.
In addition to the gold standard for test, RT PCR, TrueNat and CBNAAT are also used to augment this facility.
CBNAAT: Cartridge Based Nucleic Acid Amplification Test or CBNAAT is used for the Diagnosis of Pulmonary Tuberculosis in Children.
