Question : Test for COVID-19

Will the Minister of HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE be pleased to state:
(a) the number of COVID -19 tests that have been performed in India between the 23rd March 2020 and 1st September 2020 as percentage of the total population of the country;
(b) the comparative data on above line pertaining to India with per capita testing as a percentage of the population vis-a-vis United States, Russia, France, Germany, Brazil and in South Asia of Nepal, Bhutan, Sri Lanka, Maldives and Pakistan respectively for the same period as above;
(c) the accuracy of the Reverse Transcription Polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) COVID-19 testing kits in detecting the SARS-COV-2 viral infection and the number of false positives to a hundred tests being yielded by this method of testing;
(d) the accuracy of the other forms of COVID-19 testing like the rapid antigen detection test like POC, Quantitative IGG Antibodies Serum CLIA etc.; and
(e) the time by which an effective COVID-19 vaccine is likely to be comercially launched?

ANSWER
THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF HEALTH AND
FAMILY WELFARE
(SHRI ASHWINI KUMAR CHOUBEY)
(a) Total tests conducted between 23rd March 2020 and 1st September, 2020 is 4,43,40,875. On a total projected population of 1,37,23,60,351, the number of tests done during this period is approximately 3.23% of projected population of India.
(b) The testing data per capita testing as a percentage of the population is not reported by WHO (World Health Organization)
(c) The RT PCR kits for COVID-19 testing as per ICMR acceptance criteria, has a specificity of 99% or more. This means out of 100 tests conducted on negative samples, only one will yield a false positive.
(d) For POC antigen test a specificity of 99% or more is desired. For quantitative IgG antibodies and CLIA, a specificity of 95% is desired.
(e) If the advanced clinical trials of Covid vaccine succeed, then an effective Covid vaccine is likely to be available by the end of first quarter of 2021