In Karnataka, samples continue to pile up, with more than 20,000 results still remaining

Many suspected Covid-19 patient’s results are pending across districts, with the state aiming for a minimum of one lakh Covid-19 tests every day. Samples are piling up in laboratories, with reports reporting a daily pending of 20,000.

As of Wednesday, 11,997 test results were pending, according to data gathered from regular bulletins issued by eight district administrations (March 31). In their bulletins, not all districts list the number of samples that have yet to be checked. Bagalkot was first on the list, with 3,897 samples awaiting testing, followed by Kalaburagi, which had 3,261 results pending. Vijayapura (1,777), Yadgir (1,602), Bidar (800), Dharwad (403), Shivamogga (200), and Gadag all had samples pending (57). The amount of test results pending is not disclosed in daily bulletins from the Dakshina Kannada, Udupi, Mysuru, Ballari, and Chamarajanagar districts.

According to a district health officer, “testing goals for each district were raised based on suggestions from the state’s Covid-19 professional advisory committee. There would be a shortage, despite lab workers are working on various shifts. Pool study, in which five samples are combined and analyzed, has been a relief.”

However, several districts have no backlog as a result of the government setting up testing facilities in medical colleges in the last year. When contacted, district health officials in Chikkaballapura and Mandya stated that no samples were awaiting results.

According to BBMP officials, no results are left pending for more than 36 hours. We’ve provided specific instructions that all Covid samples must be checked and reports submitted within 36 hours, or a warning will be sent to the labs, We have no pending cases, said Dr. BK Vijendra, BBMP’s chief health officer for public health.

According to Dr. CN Manjunath, nodal officer for Covid research, a backlog is a natural result of the state’s decision to increase testing. Dr. Manjunath said I don’t know the exact amount of test results pending. However, with a sample size of over 1.1 lakh tests, a waiting time of around 20,000 test results is reasonable.

According to KV Trilok Chandra, commissioner of the state health and family welfare department is to update positive results first so that monitoring and care can begin right away.

He explained, There is a lag in updating negative results. The labs first update positive results in the ICMR portal since this aids in rapidly tracing the patient and initiating care.

On Thursday, Karnataka registered 4,234 new Covid-19 cases, with Bengaluru Urban topping the list with 2,906 cases. The total number of recoveries in the state was 1,599, with 719 in Bengaluru Urban.