Evidence map›Paper›PMID 36266150›Full record

ArticleIndian journal of medical microbiology

Indian microbiology EQAS registered laboratory's capacity building and infection control practices during the COVID-19 pandemic in India: Lessons learnt and gaps identified.

Malathi Murugesan, Reena Raveendran, Rajesh Kannangai, Jagadish Ramasamy, Pallab Ray, Mallika Gope, Venkateswaran Natarajan, Kamini Walia, Chand Wattal, Balaji Veeraraghavan

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Indian journal of medical microbiology. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

10 authors.

Malathi MurugesanDepartment of Clinical Microbiology, Christian Medical College, Vellore, Tamil Nadu, India.
Reena RaveendranInstitute of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, New Delhi, India.
Rajesh KannangaiDepartment of Clinical Virology, Christian Medical College, Vellore, Tamil Nadu, India.
Jagadish RamasamyDepartment of Biochemistry, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Madurai, Tamil Nadu, India.
Pallab RayDepartment of Medical Microbiology, Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh, India.
Mallika GopeNational Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories, Gurugram, Haryana, India.
Venkateswaran NatarajanNational Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories, Gurugram, Haryana, India.
Kamini WaliaIndian Council of Medical Research, New Delhi, India.
Chand WattalInstitute of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, New Delhi, India. Electronic address: chand.wattal@sgrh.com.
Balaji VeeraraghavanDepartment of Clinical Microbiology, Christian Medical College, Vellore, Tamil Nadu, India. Electronic address: vbalaji@cmcvellore.ac.in.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

purposeThe COVID-19 pandemic was unique in the history of outbreaks because of the massive scaling up of resources related to diagnostics, treatment modalities, and vaccines. To understand the impact of the pandemic among laboratory professionals, we aimed to conduct a survey to assess the improvement in the lab capacity post-covid in terms of infrastructure and accreditation status across various levels of hospitals and to determine the changes in the practice of infection control precautions during the pandemic.

methodsThis was an anonymous, online-based survey (using 58 item questionnaire) conducted between July 09, 2021, and August 07, 2021. The survey targeted all EQAS registered diagnostic laboratories located in India.

resultsThe survey reached out to 1182 participants, out of which 721 (61%) laboratories completed the questionnaire. During pre-COVID times, only 39% (282/721) of the laboratories had an RT-PCR facility. Among these 721 labs, 514 used open system RT-PCR assay, 217 labs used Truenat assay, 188 labs used GeneXpert assay, 31 used Abbott ID Now and 350 labs performed rapid antigen tests. During the pandemic, 55.3% got NABL accreditation and 7.4% were in the process of applying for COVID-19 molecular testing. In this, 80.7% of the laboratories participated in the ICMR - COVID quality control assessment. It was estimated that 41.4% of the laboratory professionals were re-using N95 masks. Overall, the infection prevention and control practices varied across each laboratory and hospital.

conclusionThese survey findings helped us to understand the strength and efficiency of laboratories in India in setting up new assays during a crisis time. Based on our findings, we propose to connect this network in a sustained manner to efficiently utilize the existing platforms to adapt to future pandemics.

Indexed as

Capacity BuildingCOVID-19Infection ControlLaboratories, ClinicalLaboratory PersonnelPandemicsCOVID-19 TestingEarly DiagnosisHumansIndiaN95 RespiratorsQuality Assurance, Health CareSurveys and QuestionnairesCOVID-19Infection controlLaboratory capacity

Identifiers

PMID36266150
PMCPMC9576257

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.