Hyderabad: The COVID-19 pandemic, which has afflicted 25,00,000 people and claimed 1,70,000 lives worldwide, has emerged as one of the greatest challenges faced by humanity.
What makes matters worse is that in most cases, the infected do not show any symptoms for two weeks. By the time the symptoms are recognised, the infected person may already have transmitted the virus to many others.
A study published by a research journal 'Nature Medicine' revealed that people infected with SARS-CoV-2 turn super-spreaders days before the symptoms actually start showing up. As many as 44 per cent of the current patients were infected in this manner.
Another study concluded that 79 per cent of reported cases in China and 48 per cent in Singapore account for asymptomatic carriers. There have been several reports that the 2002 SARS could be detected through flu-like signs and symptoms, and was declared an epidemic only after significant population exhibited specific symptoms.
On the contrary, the novel coronavirus is spreading stealthily. 186 people in Delhi were tested positive for COVID-19, but none of them had any symptoms. 65 per cent of the positive cases in Maharashtra and 75 per cent in Uttar Pradesh showed no symptoms during the diagnosis. In some cases, the symptoms begin to show only after the 14-day quarantine period.
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Given the unpredictable nature of this virus, extensive testing is the only solution to determine the extent of its spread in India.
The Union Health Ministry assured that the government will be able to contain the contagion through a nationwide lockdown. Though Donald Trump boasted that they tested 43,00,000 Americans so far, a number greater than 10 countries including India combined, the death toll is rising in the US. Given the USA's disastrous response to COVID-19, India must brace itself for a long road ahead in controlling the pandemic.
The Indian Council for Medical Research admitted to having tested 4,00,000 people so far, a number that is abysmally low for a country with 130 crore population.
An Israeli study revealed that 27 per cent of children below nine years of age showed no symptoms, pointing out how deadly children can be in transmitting the virus.
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As a part of breaking the virus chain, India first quarantined the foreign-returned and their contacts and tested them. As a second step, the government enforced an unprecedented nationwide lockdown.
Currently, the government is procuring kits for tracing and testing. After several delays, 5,00,000 rapid antibody testing kits finally arrived from China. The Centre says that starting May, domestic companies will be producing 20,00,000 kits monthly. The Indian pharmaceutical giants are focused on developing testing kits.
Despite the exemptions, the pharma industry is working only at a 50 per cent efficiency. As we are running short of testing kits, we have no estimate of the number of COVID-19 patients in India. Hence, we have no choice but to follow social distancing and maintain personal hygiene until testing is scaled up.
