COVID-19 Spike: Odisha’s Daily Positivity Rate Goes Past 14% For 2nd Time This Month

Bhubaneswar: Odisha has been witnessing a steady rise in Test Positivity Report (TRP) for the past few days. With the biggest spike of 6215 new cases, the TRP rose to 14.27 per cent on Friday with 43538 samples tested for COVID-19.

TPR is the ratio of tests performed to cases confirmed.

It was 13.7 per cent as 6416 samples of 44983 were found positive on Thursday.

The (TPR) had come down slightly from 14.71 per cent (samples tested 32349 and positive cases 4761) on Tuesday to 12.5 per cent (samples tested 38548 and positive cases 4851) on Wednesday. The TPR of 12.28 per cent (samples tested 36175 and positive cases 4445) was recorded on Monday.

Sunday saw a TRP of 10.6 per cent (samples tested 32349 and positive cases 34450)

A report published in Hindustan Times put the reproductive number (R0), which is an indication of the transmissibility of a virus, at 2.39. This means one person with COVID-19 can potentially transmit the coronavirus to 2 to 3 people.

Renowned microbiologist Dr TM Mohapatra, who earlier worked with the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), told the national daily that the reported cases could be less than the actual with tests through RT-PCR barely touching 40 per cent as against the advisable 70 per cent.

Odisha had decided to conduct 50,000 COVID-19 tests from April 19. Two private laboratories were roped in to ramp up the RT-PCR tests to 20,000 a day. Rapid antigen kits will be used for testing another 30,000 samples, official sources had said.

Also Read:  Odisha To Conduct 50K COVID Tests From Monday