RT-PCR tests: West Bengal at the bottom; Telengana tops list
Telengana stood first among the states with 370 tests while Delhi came in at second with 350 tests per one lakh population
The RT-PCR test is considered the gold standard of COVID detection though there have been some reports of some mutants dodging detection even in this test and patients are being advised to go for CT Scans.
According to the data released by Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, till mid-April, on an average only 205 RT-PCR tests have been done per 1 lakh population.
The lowest number of RT-PCR tests conducted in the country as a share of the population is in West Bengal. Only 47 people out of every 1 lakh population have undergone the test in West Bengal.
Telangana on top, Delhi at 2
Telengana stood first among the states with 370 tests while Delhi stood second with 350 tests per one lakh population.
The third, fourth and fifth states in the pecking order are Kerala (298), Gujarat (251) and Karnataka (224).
Maharashtra comes on the sixth position with 215 test per one lakh population.
At the bottom of the rung, Madhya Pradesh (64.5 tests per one lakh), Andhra Pradesh (72), Odisha (78), Rajasthan (83.5) and Bihar (92) come above Bengal.
The tests in the biggest state Uttar Pradesh have just crossed 100 per one lakh people. It stands at 101.
Over the past couple of weeks the Centre has laid a lot of emphasis on RT-PCR tests. The states with low scores must rapidly increase it to reach the prescribed level of 70% or more of the total tests, the ministry said in an advisory.
None of the state meets this benchmark of 70% share.
Bihar has lowest positivity
On the parameter of positivity rate – which is the number of people testing positive out of every 100 tested – Bihar stood at the bottom among the states. The rate in this state is only 1.30%. In other words it means out of every 100 people tested, 1.3 persons are found positive.
Uttar Pradesh occupies the second rank on this parameter with 2.2 positivity rate.
On this parameter the worst state is that of Delhi that has a positivity rate of 30%.
The second and third slots are with Maharashtra with 16.1% and Kerala with 8.7%. Chhattisgarh with a positivity rate of 8.3% comes fourth on the pecking order.
The all-India average stands at 5.6%. In simple words, out of every person tested, 5.6% persons are found infected with COVID-19.
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