With the spread of COVID-19 intensifying across the globe, the number of infected people in India is on the rise. There are various government-installed as well as private labs across India to conduct COVID-19 tests and diagnose suspected individuals, with more being set up as the need arises Here is all the information you need on testing centres and laboratories set up in the country.
List of Government Laboratories Approved by ICMR
1. Andhra Pradesh
Sri Venkateswara Institute of Medical Sciences, Tirupati
Rangaraya Medical College, Kakinada
Siddhartha Medical College, Vijaywada,
2. Assam
Gauhati Medical College, Guwahati
Regional Medical Research Center, Dibrugarh
Jorhat Medical College, Jorhat
Silchar Medical College, Silchar
3. Bihar
Rajendra Memorial Research Institute of Medical Sciences,
Patna
Darbhanga Medical College
4. Chandigarh
Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education & Research,
Chandigarh
Govt. Medical College, Chandigarh
5. Chattisgarh
All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Raipur
Late Baliram Kashyap M Govt. Medical College, Jagdalpur
6. Delhi
All India Institute Medical Sciences
Lady Hardinge Medical College
National Centre for Disease Control
Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital
Institute of Liver & Biliary Sciences
Army Hospital Research & Referral
7. Gujarat
BJ Medical College, Ahmedabad
MP Shah Govt Medical College, Jamnagar
Govt. Medical College, Surat
Govt. Medical College, Bhavnagar
8. Haryana
Pt. B.D. Sharma Post Graduate Inst. of Med. Sciences,
Rohtak, Haryana
BPS Govt. Medical College, Sonipat
9. Himachal Pradesh
Indira Gandhi Medical College, Shimla
Dr. Rajendra Prasad Govt. Medical College, Tanda
10. Jammu & Kashmir
Govt. Medical College, Jammu
Command Hospital (NC) Udhampur
Sher-i-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences, Srinagar
Govt. Medical College, Srinagar
11. Jharkhand
MGM Medical College & Hospital, Jamshedpur
12. Karnataka
Hassan Inst. of Med. Sciences, Hassan
Mysore Medical College & Research Institute, Mysore
Shimoga Instt. of Medical Sciences, Shivamogga Inst. of Med.
Sciences, Shivamogga
Command Hospital (Air Force) Bengaluru
Bangalore Medical College & Research Institute, Bengaluru
National Institute of Virology, Bangalore Field Unit,
Bengaluru
Gulbarga Institute of Medical Sciences, Gulbarga
13. Kerala
National Institute of Virology Field Unit, Allapuzzha
Govt. Medical College, Thiruvananthapuram
Govt. Medical College, Kozhikode
Govt. Medical College, Thrissur
Rajiv Gandhi Center for Biotechnology, Thiruvananthapuram
Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute of Medical Sciences,
Thiruvananthapuram
14. Maharashtra
National Institute of Virology, Pune
Seth GS Medical College & KEM Hospital, Mumbai
Kasturba Hospital for Infectious Diseases, Mumbai
National Institute of Virology Field Unit, Mumbai
Armed Forces Medical College, Pune
BJ Medical College, Pune
Indira Gandhi Govt. Medical College, Nagpur
15. Madhya Pradesh
All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Bhopal
National Institute for Research on Tribal Health, Jabalpur
Mahatma Gandhi Memorial Medical College, Indore
Govt. Medical College, Bhopal
16. Manipur
Jawaharlal Nehru Institute of Med. Sciences, Imphal-East,
Manipur
Regional Institute of Medical Sciences, Imphal
17. Meghalaya
North Eastern Indira Gandhi Regional Institute of Health &
Medical Sciences, Shillong, Meghalaya
18. Odisha
Regional Medical Research Centre, Bhubaneshwar
19. Puducherry
Jawaharlal Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education &
Research, Puducherry
20. Punjab
Govt. Medical College, Amritsar
Govt. Medical College, Patiala
21. Rajasthan
Sawai Man Singh Medical College, Jaipur
Dr. Sampurnanand Medical College, Jodhpur
Jhalawar Medical College, Jhalawar
RNT Medical College, Udaipur
SP Medical College, Bikaner
All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Jodhpur
JLN Medical College, Ajmer
22. Tamil Nadu
King Institute of Preventive Medicine & Research, Chennai
Madras Medical College, Chennai
Govt. Theni Medical College, Theni
Tirunelveli Medical College, Tirunelveli
Govt. Medical College, Thiruvarur
Kumar Mangalam Govt. Medical College, Salem
Coimbatore Medical College, Coimbatore
23. Telangana
Gandhi Medical College, Secunderabad
Osmania Medical College, Hyderabad
24. Tripura
Government Medical College, Agartala
25. Uttar Pradesh
King George Medical University, Lucknow
Institute of Medical Sciences, Banaras Hindu University,
Varanasi
Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College, Aligarh
Command Hospital, Lucknow
26. Uttarakhand
Govt. Medical College, Haldwani
27. West Bengal
National Institute of Cholera & Enteric Diseases, Kolkata
Institute of Post Graduate Medical Education & Research,
Kolkata
Here are answers to some questions you may have regarding COVID-19 testing.
1. When Should I Get Tested for COVID-19?
Only people who are symptomatic need to be tested for COVID-19. Only if you have a travel history to an area with an active outbreak or have been in close contact with someone who is suspected to or has tested positive for coronavirus, should you consider being tested. Depending on the testing methods of the area in which you live, you may be asked to self-quarantine at home for 14 days, after which you will be tested if you show symptoms of coronavirus. These are:
Dry cough
Body pain
Fever
Nausea
Trouble breathing
2. What Samples are Required to Test for COVID-19?
Once you have been approved for the test, the medical representative will collect a sample of your upper and lower respiratory tract cells, as well as/or a blood sample. These will then be processed in an authorised lab.
3. Is the COVID-19 Test Free?
Yes, the tests being conducted at government labs are free of cost. Each private lab sets its own policies on testing, which includes the cost, method of collection, etc. However, according to government rules, the price of the COVID-19 test cannot exceed Rs. 4500 in private laboratories.
4. How is the Test Performed at These Centres?
Laboratories will take any one or more of the following samples:
A swab test: A cotton swab is used to collect cells from the inside of the nose or throat.
A tracheal aspirate: A bronchoscope, which is a thin tube with a torch at the end, is slowly guided towards the lungs to extract a sample.
A nasal aspirate: A saline injection solution is injected into the nose and the sample is collected using gentle suction.
A sputum test: A variation of mucous from the lungs is coughed up or collected from the nose using a swab.
A blood test
5. How Soon Will I Get The Test Results?
It usually takes between 24-72 hours to get test results of the novel coronavirus.
6. How Do I Seek Treatment for COVID-19?
If you suspect that you (or a family member) has COVID-19, you can call any of the helpline numbers in your city. A district surveillance officer will visit you shortly to assess the situation. If the chances of COVID-19 infection are high, he/she will take it forward. You will be taken to a hospital centre for further observation and quarantine, and tested for the COVID-19 strain. If the tests are positive, you will be kept under further quarantine until complete recovery.
7. What Do I Need to Do After I Get Tested?
Stay in quarantine until the test results come back. If they are positive, the hospital will treat you until you recover.
8. Do Medical Insurance Policies Cover COVID-19?
Yes, all claims pertaining to hospitalisation and medical expenses incurred due to coronavirus are covered under medical insurance. Contact your medical insurance provider for more details on the same.
9. When Are the People Who Have Just Arrived in India From Abroad Tested for Coronavirus?
If you have travelled to India from abroad since the outbreak of COVID-19, you will undergo a temperature check at the airport or will be quarantined in a government facility. If you have not been quarantined, it is essential that you home-quarantine for 14 days, irrespective of having any symptoms. You will undergo the COVD-19 test if you become symptomatic by the end of the 14 days.
10. What Are the Odds of Recovery?
Another question tying into this is ‘Is COVID-19 fatal?’ According to the information and research on hand, COVID-19 has a low mortality rate. The elderly and people with respiratory or cardiac illness or compromised immune system are the most susceptible to it and fall into the high-risk zone. If you are not within the high-risk zone, chances are you will recover well.
11. Is There Any Cure for COVID-19?
No, there is no cure for COVID-19 to date.
Considering the panic surrounding COVID-19, it is natural for people, symptomatic or otherwise, to consider getting themselves tested. However, there are certain guidelines for coronavirus testing, as mentioned above. Knowing the right information will help you get yourself or the people around you timely help. Until then, don’t forget to maintain good hygiene, take precautions, and stay safe!