India scaled up its coronavirus testing over a two-month period, beginning in June, by relying on faster, cheaper antigen testing. At first glance, this is a positive development and a strategy that the United States is also considering if the pandemic continues, The Associated Press reports. At the same time, however, there is a realization that India has become too dependent on antigen tests, which are also less accurate than slower, more expensive lab tests.
The problem is not the antigen tests themselves, because their deficiencies are well understood. After all, India apparently does not have enough testing of patients who have tested negative, although the health officials of the country recommend the practice, especially for those who have symptoms. Between June 18 and July 29, court documents show that in Delhi state only 0.5 percent, or 1,365 of the more than 260,000 people who tested negative, were retested. Plus, there has been a decline in use of more accurate lab tests, the figure drops from 11,000 per day to just 5,400.
Dr. Ashish Jha, director of Harvard University’s Global Health Institute, said data from the two types of tests should not be used to determine that infections are declining in India, as using less accurate tests automatically shifts the numbers to the south will drive, especially if retesting is limited. Going forward, major countries struggling with outbreaks such as the US and India are likely to need to strike a balance between speed and precision by continuing to rely on accurate lab tests and being re-tested regularly using antigen tests. Read more at The Associated Press.
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