The World Health Organization’s chief scientist, Dr. Soumya Swaminathan, has warned that COVID-19 surveillance, including testing and sequencing, has declined significantly amidst the surge in cases in India. She stated that the decline in surveillance is making it increasingly difficult to assess the impact of variants on transmission, disease characteristics, and the effectiveness of countermeasures. She also noted that diagnostics, treatments, and vaccines are not being deployed effectively, although the pandemic is not over yet.

In the meantime, Union health secretary Dr. Rajesh Bhushan has directed states and UTs to implement strict testing, surveillance, and vaccination. In India, Punjab, Karnataka, Assam, Chhattisgarh, Delhi, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Kerala, and Tamil Nadu have reported the biggest spikes.

Dr. Swaminathan added that sub-variants of Omicron, such as BA.4 and BA.5, continue to drive the high number of cases, hospitalizations, and deaths around the world. Therefore, they are calling for continued testing and sequencing services to provide a clearer picture of where the virus is spreading and how it is evolving. In the recent emergency committee on COVID-19, it was observed that the virus remains a public health emergency of international concern.

(Source: https://www.livemint.com/science/health/decline-in-testing-hinders-efforts-to-keep-lid-on-covid-11660586524601.html )