BHOPAL: While tests done per day in the state have increased by 29% in past 15 days of this month, positivity rate that is inversely proportional to tests done per day has grown by 3,200% in the same period.
This clearly reflects the speed of growth of infection, in normal conditions, when the number of tests done per day is increased, positivity rate—number of people tested positive per 100 samples tested—reduces, on the contrary it has increased in the state, though number of tests increased.
On January 1, a total of 61,440 samples were tested and a positivity rate of 0.20% was reported. Fifteen days down the line, 7,97,667 tests were done on January 15, but positivity rate of 6.6 percent was reported. Positivity rate increased by 32 times in the same period, and is well above 5 percent—the rate when it is considered that more tests are required.
Sources said that the infection is in growth phase in the state, and it is likely that more cases will be reported in the coming few days.
If number of tests that are being done now, had been similar to the number of tests done during the second covid-19 peak in the state, where around 35,000-40,000 tests were done, then it was most likely that the current positivity rate would have been above 10%, added sources.
However probably due to the vaccination in the state in the year, only around 2.9 percent of the total active patients in the state are hospitalized as of now, this was far more during the second peak.
As on January 16, there are around 30,000 active covid-19 patients in the state and of these, only 900 are hospitalized, said sources.
