Lack of high-capacity labs delaying Covid-19 lab result

Shortage of high-capacity laboratories in the state has resulted in the delay of Covid-19 results, which in turn is responsible for crowding in designated hospitals.

Out of the 80 functional laboratories across the state only four in Bengaluru and the ones in Dharwad and Kalburagi have the capacity to test more than 1,000 samples per day.

Nodal officer for lab testing in the state Dr C N Manjunath says this is the reason why samples are dumped on Bengaluru labs. The turnaround time for sample test reports is anywhere between two days and nine now.

“All samples are being dumped in Bengaluru labs. All districts have labs now. They have to rope in more technicians, data entry operators and microbiologists and test their respective district’s sample within their district only,” he said.

Bangalore Medical College and Research Institute’s Virus Research and Diagnostic Laboratory, National Institute of Virology, Nimhans, National Centre for Biological Sciences, tested more than 1,000 samples. Outside Bengaluru, the laboratories at Dharwad Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences (in Dharwad) and Gulbarga Institute of Medical Sciences, Kalbaburagi test more than 1,000 sample tests per day.

TrueNAT labs, which are around six in number, cannot test more than 30 samples. All 80 labs are not RT-PCR labs. Around 25 across the state are TrueNAT and CBNAAT labs. Hence, we can’t expect each lab to test 300 and more samples,” Dr Manjunath said.

According to Medical Education Minister Dr K Sudhakar, the labs have a backlog of 15,000 to 16,000 samples as of Wednesday.

On the other hand,the delay in getting reports is resulting in crowding at designated hospitals. Covid suspects who do not require hospitalisation are being accommodated in hospitals simply because they’re waiting for results.

The wait is often traumatic. Sometimes, patients can unwittingly endup infecting others. In some instances, due to lack of hospitalisation critical patients have died. Hospitals denied them admission in the absence of test results.

According to a circular issued by the state health department on Saturday, Covid suspects are also supposed to be shifted to hospitals and if tested positive they should be shifted to the Covid ward there.

Doctors say depending on the severity of the symptoms, hospitals should allow home isolation of patients if a Covid suspect is waiting for the report so that beds can be made available for patients who actually need it.

Dr Murali Mohan B V, Pulmonologist, Narayana Health, Bommasandra, said patients who are stable are sent to a guesthouse near the hospital until their reports arrive.

Dr Padma Sundaram, Pulmonologist, Manipal Hospital, Old Airport Road said, as far as the patient is not above 50, does not have co-morbidities, his/her oxygen saturation level is above 95% which is the normal range and is having a mild fever less than 38 degree celsius, it is safe to send those patients waiting for the Covid report to home isolation.