Doctors say Mumbai could examine a new wave of cases in the coming months.
COVID-19 testing numbers have seen a sudden drop of 72% during the long festive period in Mumbai this month, raising concerns among doctors. The city averaged 13,000 to 14,000 tests earlier in November, but that number has now fallen to less than 4,000.
On November 5, for example, Mumbai carried out more than 14,000 tests. Ten days later, the tests dropped 72% to 3,918 tests. Only 5,399 tests were conducted in Mumbai on Diwali last Saturday, according to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) dashboard.
Doctors who are part of the Maharashtra government’s COVID-19 task force find the drop alarming.
“Obviously the positive ambulatory patients have come down to less than 500. This is very worrying. Don’t be afraid of the tests and there should be no stigma associated with it. If we are to give an appropriate response to the coronavirus, the measurement tests tracing and processing. TTT, “Dr Rahul Pandit, working group member.
The BMC, meanwhile, believes that many people have not reached hospitals and testing centers because of Diwali and that is why there is a sudden drop in the number of tests. Doctors say the city could examine a new wave of cases like Delhi in the coming months.
“In Delhi these days there is another wave unfolding as winter sets in. It is possible that cases will increase in the coming month. We should be prepared for this and the BMC should increase testing. And we should test and quarantine asymptomatic patients. with and those who have mild symptoms so that they do not spread the disease ”, Dr Mohammad Irshad Faruqi, general practitioner.
In the meantime, a circular from the government of Maharashtra of November 11 warns of a new wave of pandemic in January-February, warning against any laxity.
Still, the state has seen a significant drop in testing. In early September and early October, there were between 90,000 and 1,000,000 tests per day, which has now dropped to 45,000 to 50,000.
