Daijiworld Media Network – Mangaluru/Udupi (SP)

Mangaluru/Udupi, May 1: At a time when coronavirus infection cases are surging, there is backlog in preparing test reports of the throat swabs. The delay in issuing the test reports has become a major challenge to the efforts being made to fight the pandemic.

In normal course, RT-PCR test reports are expected in 24 to 48 hours’ time. But now, reports are not received even after a week. Early detection is the paramount requirement for successful challenge against coronavirus. Because of the delay, identifying the patients and keeping them away from others has proved to be impossible. This in turn results in spreading of the infection. At the same time, those who are not infected do not get treatment promptly.

Dakshina Kannada (DK) district health officer, Dr Kishore, says that the reports are getting delayed as about 5,000 to 6,000 tests are conducted every day. He said efforts to upgrade the system are on, and these efforts might fructify within a week.

Currently, RT-PCR tests are performed in eight medical college hospitals and Wenlock COVID hospital. In Wenlock, on an average, 2,500 tests are performed while medical colleges do 300 tests per day. As the collection of swabs increases, pending tests get accumulated with each day.

Udupi district receives nearly 4,000 samples per day and the district hospital lab conducts 1,500 tests. Therefore reports are delayed, says district health officer, Dr Sudhir Chandra Sooda.

Primary health centres and taluk hospitals receive many people who want to undergo COVID tests. It is said that the medical staff there advice the people to go to district hospital if they want their reports faster. This leads to rush at the district hospital.

The swabs collected at the government health centres are also sent to private hospital labs for testing, and the cost is borne by the government. Still, it takes four to five days to get the report. However, if a person directly approaches the private hospitals, he gets the report within 24 hours.

In many cases, even after the report is generated, it does not get uploaded in the COVID portal. Therefore the patient does not come to know about the result of the test. Wenlock Covid lab nodal officer Sharat, confesses that such a delay occurs. He said a solution is being worked out which might give the result in two to three days.

On pooling method, five models are put for test together. If all are negative, all the five reports are generated together. If anyone is positive, all the five samples are tested again. As the chances of positive reports are high now, direct testing method is normally chosen.

Dakshina Kannada district deputy commissioner Dr Rajendra K V, says that the delay in the test reports occurs because more positive cases are coming up. He said that efforts to upgrade the system are on and there will be improvement in the timing son. Udupi district deputy commissioner, J Jagadeesha, said that the delay is on account of increasing the number of daily tests. He said that samples are also sent to Chikkamagaluru laboratory to hasten the process.