India is in second place in COVID-19 Testing - M.A.Aleem BMJ 2020;370:m2817

Bmj British Medical Journal 

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Delhi prepares to hit 500 000 covid-19 cases

BMJ 2020; 370 doi: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.m2817 (Published 14 July 2020)

Cite this as: BMJ 2020;370:m2817

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Re: Delhi prepares to hit 500 000 covid-19 cases

Dear Editor

India is in second place in COVID-19 Testing

In the 29th week of the COVID-19 Pandemic

World COVID-19 cases have surpassed 14 Million on 17.7.2020 As of today, 18.7.2020, the world has recorded 14, 215, 939 COVID-19 cases. The recovered cases are 8, 488, 484 in number and death was reported in 600, 036 cases as of today

About 48.09%.of the world COVID-19 cases are in three countries--the US, Brazil and India--duing this 29th week of the Pandemic. Likewise about 41.04% of COVID-19 related deaths are recorded in these three countries. The Indian COVID-19 related death rate is low at 2.5%

India has conducted the second largest number of coronavirus tests (12 million) after the US (42 million).

The US has done 45, 697, 029 total COVID-19 tests at the ratio of 138, 021 tests per 1 Million population

The Indian positivity rate of Covid-19 stands at 6.73 percent in the 1st week of July 2020.

Now India has done 12, 739, 490 total tests at the rate of 9228 tests per 1 Million population. The positivity rate at India is now around 8%.

India has registered its first 1 Million cases (1, 005, 637) and has recorded the highest single day of COVID-19 cases of 35, 468 with 680 deaths on 16.7.2020

For the first time the world has registered the highest single spike of 2.4 lakh (248, 871) and US has recorded the highest number of 73, 388 cases in a single day on 16.7.2020.

WHO has an advisory that has recommended a positivity rate of less than 5% for two weeks as an indicator that the epidemic is under control, allowing social restrictions to be gradually relaxed.

In Tamilnadu the positivity rate is at 9.91% and in Trichy is about 8 6%.

So it is better to continue the social restrictions along with personal and respiratory hygiene till vaccines are available.

Competing interests: No competing interests

18 July 2020

M.A Aleem

Emeritus Professor of Neurology * Visiting Specialist in Neurology ** Consultant Neurologist ***

The Tamilnadu Dr.M.G.R. Medical University * Dhanalakshami Srinivasan Medical College ** ABC Hospital ***

Chennai 600032* Perambalure 621212** Trichy 620018*** Tamilnadu India

@drmaaleem