Covid Management in India

By : Neha Dhyani

Updated : May 18, 2022, 10:00

The COVID-19 disease has become a global pandemic. On 30th January 2020, the first COVID-19 case was reported in India. The need for a data management tool emerged when the number of covid cases increased to have updated data to drive policy decisions. Read Covid Management in India.

Role of ICMR in Covid Management in India

The ICMR was engaged in developing a data collection and analysis tool. The tool has already achieved a milestone by collecting more than 550 million records and has performed its task efficiently in sharing clean and updated data for effective Covid Management in India.

Phases of Covid Management in India

Based on the country's resourcefulness, the entire duration of the pandemic has been divided into four different phases.

Phase 1 (Feb-March 2020)

In the first phase, emphasis was given to testing for COVID-19 and resultantly RT-PCR test was conducted in 78 selected national laboratories. It was led by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR). The first positive case was identified in Kerala on January 30, 2020. For instant Covid Management in India, a nationwide lockdown was enacted to curb the spread of COVID on March 24, 2020.

International travellers and their close contacts were the primary reason for the initial rise in COVID-19-positive cases, and the length of the infection was unknown. Thus, positive cases were quarantined and frequently tested every 24 hours until two consecutive negative results were obtained for better Covid Management in India.

ICMR was continuously working towards expanding the testing capacity, and by the end of March 2020, nearly 150 labs were conducting 3-4 thousand tests per day.

Phase 2 (April-June 2020)

In the second phase, the rapid spread of the coronavirus was already there by April-June. Confirmed deaths due to COVID-19 increased from 100 on April 5 to 1,000 by the end of the month. New testing methods namely "CBNAAT" and "TrueNAT" were approved to boost the testing capacity and effective Covid Management in India.

After obtaining the ICMR, many companies commenced the development work of their kits. The lockdown was declared for the last time on May 30, 2020, and restrictions were eased as a part of Unlock 1 from June 8, 2020.

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Phase 3 (July 2020-Feb 2021)

When the covid restrictions were eased by the government in phase 3, people's movement increased and so did COVID-19. To tackle this situation, a point-of-care test, i.e. a Rapid Antigen Test (RAT) was launched to monitor a mass for improved Covid Management in India.

With the launch of the RAT, covid testing increased significantly which led India to achieve a landmark of 1 million tests per day. The total number of samples tested was 220 million by February 2021.

Phase 4 (March 2021-September 2021)

In phase 4, the pace of sample testing has increased significantly and reached approximately 550 million by September 20, 2021. The number of laboratories further increased from 7,485 to 9,115.

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Role of Social Media in Covid Management in India

When it comes to spreading awareness and connectivity and sharing updates quickly, social media has played a crucial role in the pandemic in efficient Covid Management in India. It played a massive role in giving people knowledge about the symptoms and signs of the disease, diagnosis and blood testing, and real-time information about the availability of ICU beds and hospitals.

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FAQ on the Covid Management in India

Q1. When was the first nationwide lockdown enacted for Covid Management in India?

Ans. The first nationwide lockdown for one day was enacted on 22.03.2020 for Covid Management in India.

Q2. What were the initial actions taken for Covid Management in India?

Ans. Positive cases were quarantined and frequently tested every 24 hours until two consecutive negative results were obtained during the initial stage of Covid Management in India.

Q3. Which tests were actively conducted during the second wave for effective Covid Management in India?

Ans. New testing methods namely "CBNAAT" and "TrueNAT" were approved to boost the testing capacity and effective Covid Management in India.

Q4. Which testing method was actively followed during the third wave for improved Covid Management in India?

Ans. A point-of-care test, i.e. a Rapid Antigen Test (RAT) was launched to monitor a mass for improved Covid Management in India.

Q5. What was the initial method followed for the COVID-19 test and Covid Management in India?

Ans. Initially, COVID-19 was tested through only the RT-PCR method for Covid Management in India.