WITH DENSELY packed cities, widespread malnutrition and a rickety health infrastructure, India has little margin for error when it comes to handling the COVID-19 pandemic. But so far, the two things that have helped the country from a tsunami of cases are its past experience and staying nimble, says the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR). We learned from the 2009 Swine flu epidemic, it says in a recently released Intelligent Testing Strategy. Then only two institutes—the National Institute of Virology and the National Centre for Disease Control—had the capacity to perform molecular tests essential for pathogen diagnosis. But now, there is a network of virus research and diagnostic laboratories (VRDL), 13 of which were roped in for testing in cities with international airports even before the country reported its first cases.
Imposing nationwide lockdown, dubbed the biggest and stringent, is also part of this testing strategy, ICMR says. This provided time to create adequate facilities to trace, track, test, quarantine, and treat before the disease spread uncontrollably. As on May 28, at least 641 public and private laboratories and those in research and development institutions, universities, and public and private medical colleges have been roped in to ensure that the load of testing does not overwhelm the system at any time. At places where these could not be provided, a system to transport samples to the nearest testing facility has been set up or automated machines like TrueNat have been provided, says the document.
ãã®èšäºã¯ Down To Earth ã® June 01, 2020 çã«æ²èŒãããŠããŸãã
7 æ¥éã® Magzter GOLD ç¡æãã©ã€ã¢ã«ãéå§ããŠãäœåãã®å³éžããããã¬ãã¢ã ã¹ããŒãªãŒã9,000 以äžã®éèªãæ°èã«ã¢ã¯ã»ã¹ããŠãã ããã
ãã§ã«è³Œèªè ã§ã ?  ãµã€ã³ã€ã³
ãã®èšäºã¯ Down To Earth ã® June 01, 2020 çã«æ²èŒãããŠããŸãã
7 æ¥éã® Magzter GOLD ç¡æãã©ã€ã¢ã«ãéå§ããŠãäœåãã®å³éžããããã¬ãã¢ã ã¹ããŒãªãŒã9,000 以äžã®éèªãæ°èã«ã¢ã¯ã»ã¹ããŠãã ããã
ãã§ã«è³Œèªè ã§ã? ãµã€ã³ã€ã³
A SPRIG TO CARE FOR
Punarnava, a perennial herb, is easy to grow and has huge health benefits
DIGGING A DISASTER
Soapstone mining near Dabti Vijaypur village has caused many residents to migrate.
REVIEW THE TREATMENT
Several faecal sludge treatment plants in Uttar Pradesh suffer from design flaws that make the treatment process both expensive and inefficient
MAKE STEEL SUSTAINABLE
As India works to double its GDP by 2030, its steel industry must balance growth with sustainability. By embracing policies like the Steel Scrap Recycling Policy 2019 and adopting green technologies, India is paving the way for a more sustainable future in steel production
Can ANRF pull off the impossible for India?
Anusandhan National Research Foundation is expected to reorient India's innovation goals but funding issues, old mindsets remain a drag
TROUBLED WOODS
Forests are a great bulwark against climate change. But this is fast changing. AKSHIT SANGOMLA travels through some of the pristine patches of the Western Ghats to explore how natural disturbances triggered by global warming now threaten the forest health
BLINDING GLOW
The science is clear: increased illumination has damaging consequences for the health of humans, animals and plants. Itâs time governments introduced policies to protect the natural darkness and improved the quality of outdoor lighting.
GROUND REALITY
What happens when the soil loses the ability to grow healthy, high-yield crops on its own?
GM POLICY MUST BE FARMER CENTRIC
On July 23, the Supreme Court of India directed the Union government to develop a national policy on genetically modified (GM) crops for research, cultivation, trade and commerce through public consultation.
Vinchurni's Gandhi
A 96-year-old farmer transforms barren land into a thriving forest in drought-prone region of Satara