Bengal in eye of Central storm is much ahead of other States
A comprehensive data analysis of the Covid-19 testing pattern places national Capital Delhi at the top in terms of number of test carried out per million population followed by Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu.
The worst performer States are Bihar, Telangana and Uttar Pradesh in that order. Interestingly, West Bengal, which drew repeated criticism from the Centre for its alleged inept handling of the outbreak, is ahead of several other States in carrying out Covid-19 identification tests.
The data crunching also reveals while some States have taken the testing protocol very seriously, others have paid little heed to it. As a result, as much as 18-fold gap exists between Delhi and Bihar and six-fold difference between Andhra Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh.
The analysis is based on tests carried out per million populations, which means the size of the State’s population and its geographical dimension do not impact the comparative outcome. The test numbers are of May 18.
By Monday, Delhi carried out 1.39 lakh tests, which translates into 7,052 tests per million populations. The national Capital has a very low mortality rate of 1.57 per cent and recovery rate of 45 per cent.
The second placed Andhra Pradesh has carried out 2,58,450 tests for a count of 4,949 tests per million. The southern State has a mortality rate of 2.5 per cent and recovery rate of 66 per cent.
Tamil Nadu, which has seen big spike in cases on daily basis, has carried out 3,37, 841 tests for an average of 4,463 tests per million. Tamil Nadu’s mortality rate is one of the lowest in the country at 0.7 per cent and its recovery rate stands at 37 per cent.
Delhi’s neighbour Rajasthan has carried out a total of 2,43,476 tests, which translates into nearly 3,151 tests for every 1 million people. The State has a recovery rate of 56 per cent and mortality rate of 2.41 per cent.
Maharashtra, which is the worst affected State in the country, has carried out 2,82,437 tests, which makes for 2,312 test per million population. The State has a mortality rate of 3.5 per cent and a low recovery rate of 24 per cent.
Karnataka, which has opened up its economic activities in a big way, has carried out 1,51,663 tests, that comes to about 2,305for every 1 million people.
Similarly, Gujarat, which has also emerged as one of the worst affected States, has carried out 1,48,824 tests, accounting for 2,191 tests per million. Gujarat has a very high mortality rate of 5.9 per cent and recovery rate at 41 per cent.
Odisha, which largely remained untouched by coronavirus before the return of the migrants, has carried out 95,776 tests, which make for 2,193 tests per million.
Kerala, which was the first in the country to record a coronavirus case on January 30 and which has since then done well to control its spread, has carried out just 45,905 tests, which accounts for a mere 1,307 per million population.
Punjab, another State which did well to control coronavirus spread before the return of the Sikh pilgrims from Nanded in Maharashtra, has carried out 52,955 tests --- that is 11,774 tests per million, better than many smaller States of its size.
Assam, which is gateway to North-East, where the spread of coronavirus was confined to a single digit in majority of the States, has carried out 37,898 tests, that is 1,105 tests per million.
Bihar will end with wooden spoon in the rank of top 15 populated States, carrying just 46,996 tests with only 393 tests per million populations. The State has recorded less than 1,500 positive cases and nine deaths, but going by the dismal record on testing the real number could be far bigger. The days ahead could see sharp spike in cases from Bihar.
Telangana is the second worst State in carrying out tests. The State has reported just 23,000 tests for a dismal count of around 630 test per million.
Uttar Pradesh is the third worst State in terms of parameters of testing per million populations. The State has carried out just 1,76, 479 tests. This makes for only 784 tests for every 1 million people in India’s biggest populated State.
Then comes the turn of Jharkhand, which has carried out 35,359 tests, which makes for 945 tests per million populations.
The much-maligned West Bengal, which repeatedly drew flak from the Centre for not carrying out adequate number of tests, has reported 93,570 tests, which translates into 966 tests per million, which is far better than Bihar and UP.
The huge difference between the numbers of test carried out by the top and bottom States shows that the Centre has not been able to egg on the Chief Ministers to follow a uniform parameter of testing despite sending so many Central teams to monitor and assist them in implementing the coronavirus prevention protocol. Testing is at the top of the protocol followed by contact tracing, quarantine, treatment, and, if necessary, hospitalisation.
