Asymptomatic COVID-19 patients account for 80% of total cases in India

With the number of coronavirus positive people under control, India seems to be facing a new challenge of identifying asymptomatic COVID-19 patients.

According to a senior scientist at the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), around 80 per cent of COVID positive people in India are asymptomatic which is a cause for worry.

“80 per cent of the cases are asymptomatic. Our biggest worry is on their detection. There is no other way than contact-tracing,” said Dr Raman R. Gangakhedkar, a senior scientist at the country’s top medical research body.

It is also speculated that there may be many more asymptomatic people who are yet to be detected and to find them is difficult.

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The scientist also added that the asymptomatic cases can be found only after tracing the contacts of people who have been tested positive and testing everyone is almost impossible.

However, on the bright side, Dr Gangakhedkar also said,”The number of cases will not be so high. In the second week of May, we will be in a position to evaluate it in a better way.”

On strategies regarding the identification of asymptomatic patients, the scientist said, there’s no scope for any changes.

“There’s no scope for it. Wherever there is an infection or in a hotspot, tests are being made for influenza-like illness (ILI). I’m not sure what further steps can be taken,” he said to NDTV.

Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray on Sunday said that over 70 per cent of novel coronavirus cases reported in the state were asymptomatic and the patients did not know that they were infected.

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal also cited instances of asymptomatic people testing positive for the virus and said of the 736 samples collected recently, 186 were found to be COVID-19 positive.