50% Delhi-NCR residents with Covid-like symptoms in last 30 days took no tests: NGO

Despite a spike in coronavirus cases, a large number of people in Delhi and neighbouring cities in the last one month either refrained from undergoing tests or opted for a simple rapid antigen test after they showed Covid-like symptoms, a health NGO has claimed. Coronavirus cases are again rising across most of the country, and NCR cities are also experiencing yet another surge.

"With 1,500-1,800 daily reported cases just in Delhi and another 600-1,000 recorded in NCR cities, many are questioning if these reported cases are estimating the spread of COVID-19 accurately," LocalCircles said in a statement. To understand the on-ground situation, LocalCircles sought inputs from residents of Delhi and neighbouring cities asking them if they or anyone in their family had symptoms in the last 30 days and how they got themselves tested in such a situation.

The survey received 11,059 responses from citizens located in all districts of Delhi-NCR. Of these, 64 per cent respondents were men while 36 per cent respondents were women, it said. "Of those who had Covid symptoms, only 16 per cent took RT-PCR test, 34 per cent did at-home RAT (rapid antingen test), and 50 per cent took no test," the NGO claimed.

Delhi on Sunday recorded 1,530 new Covid cases and three deaths in a day while the positivity rate rose to 8.41 per cent, according to data shared by the city health department. This is the fifth consecutive day that Delhi recorded over 1,300 cases in a day. The fresh cases were detected out of 18,183 Covid tests conducted on Sunday. The fresh infections pushed Delhi's Covid case tally to 19,22,089 while the death toll rose to 26,232, the department said in its bulletin.