After the centre’s nod to carry out mass-scale tests for the coronavirus or COVID-19, the Maharashtra government and the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) are planning to initiate tests on thousands of the health workers.
This is being done to check whether the workers have developed antibodies after being exposed to the coronavirus while taking care of the infected persons. At the initial stage, the BMC wants to test 10,000 of its health workers in the next 10 days.
The civic officials have been touch with the Union Health Ministry in Delhi to obtain the antibody testing kits for the city. “A lot many people have been exposed to the virus and they may develop immunity after their bodies develop antibodies against the virus. Once we test them, these people could be at the forefront of tackling the virus,” BMC Commissioner Praveen Pardeshi was quoted by the Economic Times as saying.
The municipal commissioner further informed that the BMC also wants to test most of its workers apart from the healthcare personnel. Moreover, BMC microbiologist Sujata Baweja has been in touch with the Union Health Ministry and the Indian Council of Medical Research officials to be allowed to obtain testing kits.
Maharashtra Public Health Minister Rajesh Tope on Thursday informed that the centre has approved to conduct rapid and mass-scale testing for the coronavirus or COVID-19 which has claimed 16 lives in the state.
While talking to the reporters, Rajesh Tope stated that the state government will use a blood sample instead of swabs to rapidly test those suspected to have contracted the coronavirus or COVID-19. This will ascertain “in five minutes” whether the person has developed antibodies for the disease or not, Tope added.
Earlier, the central government had not allowed mass-scale tests. However, the same has been now permitted by the Modi government. Earlier, the World Health Organisation (WHO) recommended “test, test, test” to every country amid the coronavirus pandemic.
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