Finally, India has now decided to test all hospitalised patients with severe respiratory infections, including pneumonia - as a major expansion of coronavirus testing. Well, this is a huge breakthrough as earlier only people with symptoms, travel history or contact with people having tested positive were tested.
India has been criticized for not testing enough even though the World Health Organisation had directed to take enough tests in order to battle the virus.
An advisory by the Health Ministry to all the hospitals said that no suspected patient should be turned away and admission of any patient should be notified to NCDC or IDSP immediately. It also said that pneumonia patients should also be notified immediately in order to take it forward for testing coronavirus.
The Indian Council of Medical Research at 10 am said the total number of positive cases of novel coronavirus in the country has risen to 271. As of now, four people have succumbed to the virus in India.
