Since I write about it everyday here's a thread about how dismal our testing is in #Telangana. Its a long thread, bear with it.

We have conducted 19k tests done TILL DATE amounting to 551 tests per million lesser than the national average of 636.89 per million.
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#Telangana has the lowest testing average amongst its neighbours and is at the bottom of the table doing only better than 3 states.

To top that the govt stopped publishing testing data after 29th April, it has been 11 days.

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On 22nd March the govt announced that they'll test all with respiratory infections. But this has been nothing but an eyewash because on 20th April a circular was given by the govt that “all officers are hereby instructed not to collect samples from dead bodies"

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- Due to which many of the Covid pneumonia related deaths are possibly being ignored and underreported. I guess we will never know, because the govt loves giving data.

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In Suryapet which is one of the COVID-19 hotspots in Telangana, no tests were conducted in the between April 23 and 29. FOR AN ENTIRE WEEK. But later some dogs were tested.

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On April 21, in a decision defying logic, the govt decided not to test anyone who are not primary contacts of Covid19 patients. ICMR data show that the number of positive cases has dropped since the decision to limit testing. This is nothing but underreporting.

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An example of how people with symptoms are being denied testing and are being turned away from Covid designated hospitals :
https://twitter.com/priyakamal/status/1254307718761836545?s=20
https://www.thenewsminute.com/article/covid-19-telangana-turning-away-symptomatic-people-no-contact-history-123388

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The national average of the percentage of positive cases was 4.1, compared to 5.3% in Telangana, even the thought the state isn’t testing much. It has tested 19K in two months while its neighbours like AP are testing 7k a day.

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Doctors For Seva, a collective of pet doctors based in Hyderabad, raised doubts over the official data that has shown a decrease in new cases in Telangana, projecting the state to be on course to normalcy. But that hardly invoked any reaction from the govt.

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collective put forth :
•If they are not identified and isolated soon, there could be an exponential increase in cases and this would have wider implications for controlling the pandemic at the state, national, and international levels, they stated.

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•At the ground level, people suffering from bilateral pneumonia, chest scans showing abnormal conditions & patients in ICU of private hospitals are not being tested for Covid-19. The doctors collective says this is against the guidelines of the ICMR.

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While govt has asked that all patients in Hyderabad should be sent to Gandhi, healthcare workers in other government hospitals such as the Osmania/ Government Maternity Hospital have not been given PPEs. Putting staff there at risk due to asymptomatic patients.

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Furthermore, ICMR has flagged Telangana in addition to West Bengal for low testing rates. ICMR data show that the number of positive cases has dropped since the decision to limit testing. The centre seems to be sending a team to monitor the situation as well.

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The HC recently gave order in the regard:
Justice Vijaysen reddy:
Govt not taking up massive testing of people in containment zone, HC said people in red zone must be tested up to WHO standards and testing musnt be restricted.

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WHO doesn’t say only primary suspect mustn't be tested, testing must be ramped up.

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