Random testing should be conducted to identify more COVID-19 cases, says Dr Ravi Malik

Dr Ravi Malik, Chairman of Media Cell, Indian Association of Paediatrics, on Tuesday said that the government needs to take several steps to identify and prevent coronavirus spread, including random testing for COVID-19.

"Whether the lockdown will end or will be extended depends on the number of COVID-19 cases. If the government takes the strategic decision to stretch the lockdown period, it is a good decision. It is very important to avoid the rampant threat of stage three," Dr Malik told ANI here.

He said that the World Health Organization (WHO) has noted that India has been very proactive in imposing the lockdown but the country also needs to take several other preventive steps.

"Along with the lockdown, we should conduct a lot of testing. We shouldn't only test the contacts of a coronavirus patient but also do random testing. We should also take precautions and stress hygienic measures," Dr Malik said.

"It is very important that the government has ample space for quarantine, isolation, and treatment. It is a multi-prong approach. Only locking people down at their houses will not work unless we are testing rigorously," he added.

He said that the Delhi government has also come out with a strategy of random testing of about one lakh people and added that testing should also be done at hotspots like hospitals, etc.

"Random testing is required so that we detect more coronavirus cases. Take South Korea for example, they have controlled coronavirus with the help of random testing. Even small countries are conducting around 20,000 tests a day," Dr Malik said.