Kolkata: With the whole family has symptoms such as Covid, many are ready to assume that they have a virus and are reluctant to be tested.
Instead, they took medicines after consulting a doctor and entered the house isolation for a week.
While this has reduced pressure on diagnostic laboratories to a certain extent – which has faced rigid challenges that handle thousands of tests every day – doctors and experts worry that this will lead to bad reporting and encourage self-treatment.
The number of tests has fallen sharply at Peerless Hospital since last week.
While it tested more than 400 samples a day ago, it fell to 327 on Tuesday.
“Symptoms are now reluctant to be tested and prefer home isolation, assuming they have covid.
Because the new ICMR guidelines say that asymptomatic contacts do not need to be tested, they will also stay away.
But the latter often does not adhere to firm and many who do not even wear masks, risking deployment, “said Microbiologist Polyform Bhaskar Narayan Chowdhury.
He added that the availability of fast testing kits for the counter has pushed the tendency to avoid the right RT-PCR.
“Many use this kit at home but do not upload the results on positive tests.
Even negative testing but with persistent symptoms need to consult a doctor and find out whether they have non-covid infections that can be serious,” Chowdhury said.
Thousands of symptomatic patients rely on self-treatment that can be fatal for many people, said RN Tagore International Institute of Cardiac Sciences (RTIICS) intensivist Sauren Panja.
“Nearly 40% of patients who consulted me for the past week had begun to drink antibiotics.
It can be useless and counter-protective.
Antibiotics do not have a role in Covid unless there are secondary or related infections.
So, those who have a virus will suffer more and can worsen, “Panja said.
Everyone symptoms must be tested, even if it is a fast or one test that is done at home with a self-test test kit, Arindam Biswas Internal Medicine Consultant.
“Others, the real number of infected people will remain unknown and asymptomatic carrier will spread the disease,” he said.
It’s too early to assume that all positive Covid has Omicron because Delta is also active, Chowdhury said.
“A number of good cases can still be severe and avoid the right tests and care can be at risk.
We have seen a surge in heavy cases and the increase in mortality triggered by this trend to avoid tests.
Many delay treatments after passing the test and looking for entrance tickets when They have deteriorated, “Chowdhury added.
Supersecialty Medica Hospital has received 2-3 severe cases every day, according to Alok Roy’s Chair.
The hospital has carried out between 500 and 600 tests a day.
“All of our 45 ICU beds are occupied.
Even two weeks ago, the number of patients is one third,” Roy said, adding that most severe patients were people with comorbidity.