Coronavirus in India: Cases update and testing Sites

Coronavirus is a type of zoonotic virus and can affect both animals and human beings. In December 2019, the first Coronavirus outbreak was reported in Wuhan, China. Coronavirus (COVID-19) disease symptoms include fatigue, fever, general malaise, and dry cough. But apart from these general symptoms of coronavirus infection, other symptoms are individual patient-specific. Some Coronavirus-affected patients have complaints of body ache, nasal congestion, sore throat, runny nose, and diarrhea. All these symptoms do not appear simultaneously, but at the initial stage, the mild symptoms appear, and gradually the condition become worsens.

According to the World Health Organization report, one patient out of every six COVID-19 affected people had experienced breathing difficulty and develop serious illness. The risk of COVID-19 causing serious illness is higher in the elderly population and people with co-morbidity, such as hypertension, cardiac disease, diabetes, etc. The risk of serious illness is low in children for some unknown reasons.

The disease has now spread to over 215 countries with 171,033,299confirmed cases. As the disease is spreading the preventive measures are very important. According to WHO, one should follow preventive measures.

1. Maintain a 1m or 3ft distance between yourself and a person who is sneezing or coughing.
2. Stay home if you are not feeling well and contact your doctor.

WHO recommendations for people who have recently visited (last 14 days) or had exposure to areas where Coronavirus is spreading.

1. If any symptoms of cough, headache, fever, runny nose: Self isolate by staying at home
2. Avoid contact with others to reduce transmission.
3. Use face masks if needed
4. Call your doctor to inform about your symptoms and your travel/exposure. They can direct you to the testing facility.

Who should be tested for Coronavirus?

People who have respiratory symptoms like cough, fever and live in areas where Coronavirus cases has been detected. According to CDC, any person who has had close contact with a laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 patient within 14 days of symptom onset, or a history of travel from affected geographic areas(see below) within 14 days of symptom onset.

This is the list of testing sites in India for Coronavirus

What Specimen is needed for Coronavirus?

CDC recommends upper respiratory tract specimens (nasopharyngeal AND oropharyngeal swabs) for initial testing. CDC also recommends testing lower respiratory tract specimens, if available (especially patients on a ventilator). For patients who develop a productive cough, sputum should be collected.