The Indian Council of Medical research has said that all 826 random samples that they took for testing for coronavirus’s COVID-19 strain have been tested negative, adding that there hasn’t been a community spread of the virus as yet.
The information was shared by senior journalist Shreya Dhoundial on her Twitter handle.
However, ICMR has said they will conduct another random test next week to see if the virus has spread into the community.
Big Breaking : No community spread of #coronavirus in India yet.
All 826 random samples tested by ICMR found negative.— Shreya Dhoundial (@shreyadhoundial) March 19, 2020
However, there isn’t information available of the demographics selected for the sample. An Indian Express report on Thursday also highlighted how many areas of Mumbai – particularly the slums where the concept of social distancing does not exist, do not even have proper access to drinking water, leave alone washing of hands. Whether or not these individuals will test positive, given that they may or may not have been in close proximity to those who have contracted the COVID-19 virus is still to be checked.
Currently, 169 patients have tested positive in India for the novel COVID-19 virus that has plagued the word. Three people have also succumbed to it.