ICMR to test for community spread

ICMR to test for community spread

10/05/2020

“But we will go into 75 districts to find the spread, if any, and extent of community spread,” said a senior ICMR official. Community transmission is said to have taken place where tracing the source of infection is not possible, he said.

The ICMR, which was supposed to use the rapid antibody test kits for the survey, will now use the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) test — used in HIV detection — for the survey.

Fatality rate now 3.3%

On Saturday, the country registered 95 more deaths, taking the total COVID-19 fatalities to 1,981, the Health Ministry said. 17,847 persons have been cured so far with 1,307 cured in the last 24 hours. India now has a fatality rate of 3.3% and recovery rate is 29.9%, a Ministry release said.

Data from State Health Departments put the nationwide death toll at 1992, with 40,382 active cases. A total of 280 new cases were reported from Ahmedabad along with 20 more deaths on Saturday, taking the total case count to 5,540 in the district and fatalities to 363, a Gujarat Health department official said. Maharashtra reported 1,165 new case, taking its tally to 20, 228. The State also reported 48 deaths, taking the death toll to 779, said a health department official.

Cumulatively, 15,25,631 tests have been done so far for COVID-19, the Ministry added.