Data from Thyrocare, a chain of private laboratories, has revealed that 63.5% of people tested positive for COVID-19 antibodies on average over the last seven days, up from 45% a month ago.
The data from 25 states included individuals infected in the past, vaccinated, uninfected and those who had not been vaccinated, the company’s Chief Executive Arokiaswamy Velumani said on Twitter.
Note: Not a sero-survey. All came in Willingly. For curiosity. Includes known infected. Unknown. Vaccinated once. Twice. Unvaccinated. All sub populations are mixed from 25 states. Kits from 4 vendors used. Some IgG Some Total Abs. Some Both. No clinical history collected. !!! https://t.co/v9FyizcG3Y
— Dr. A. Velumani. (@velumania) May 19, 2021
The data indicates a runaway spread of the virus as the daily death toll rose to a record 4,529. India reported 267,334 new daily infections on Wednesday, taking its tally to 25.5 million, the world’s second highest after the United States, with a death toll of 283,248, health ministry data showed.
Daily testing hit a record 2 million on Tuesday, figures from the state-run Indian Council of Medical Research showed.
But that still falls short of India’s claimed daily testing capacity of 3.3 million, said Rijo M John, a professor at the Rajagiri College of Social Sciences in the southern city of Kochi.
India performed 224 tests for every 1,000 of its population in a single day this month, according to estimates by research firm GlobalData. This compared with 1,307 tests per 1,000 of population in the United States on the same day, the firm said.
Over 98% of India’s population continues to be vulnerable/ susceptible to COVID-19, said Lav Agarwal, Joint Secretary, Health Ministry, on Tuesday, adding that so far only 1.8% of the total population of the country had been affected.
“Despite the high number of COVID cases reported so far, we have been able to contain the spread to under 2 % of the population. But with the majority still vulnerable, we cannot let our guard down and hence continued focus on containment is critical. The virus hasn’t got tired so we don’t have the option to relax just yet,’’ he said.
“Currently, eight States have more than 1 lakh active COVID-19 cases and 22 States have more than 15% case positivity. Maharashtra, U.P., Delhi, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh have shown a decline in COVID-19 cases and a decline in positivity. There are 199 districts showing a continued decline in COVID-19 cases and positivity in the last two weeks,” he said.
