Varde
doubts Indian Lab tests
Sandesh Prabhudesai
21 April 2003
"I am fully fit and in good spirits", says Prasheel
Varde, India's first victim, tested positive for SARS but
as a non-spreader.
He seriously doubts reliability of the laboratory tests conducted
in India.
Goa's 32-year old marine engineer is however equally critical
of the media hype that created lots of discomfort for him
and his family members.
"This media hype, these baseless reports and unprofessionalism
shown by a few has put me, my family and friends through a
lot of discomfort and mental torture", said the victim,
two days after he was discharged from the hospital.
Going through the agony after the news of Varde testing positive
on 16 April broke out, the recently married energetic engineer
became the focal point of even the international media, he
being the first case of India, testing positive for the deadly
disease.
Fortunately, neither he showed any clinical symptoms nor
spread the disease even to his wife, who was with him during
the Hong Kong - Singapore tour in the last week of March.
After returning to India on 30 March, he had only mild fever
(up to 101 degree F) and severe backache between 10th to 12th
April.
While he was resting at his residence at Dhawali, Ponda after
returning from the Goa Medical College hospital, the shocking
news came on 16th night, stating that the Institute of Virology,
Pune had tested him positive for SARS.
"I really do not know how reliable our institutes are
in conducting these tests", states Varde, while eagerly
waiting for the second report of his blood, serum, throat
swab and urine from the National Institute of Communicable
Diseases from Delhi.
Showing the computer printout of the latest WHO
bulletin of 17th April on 'SARS: Availability and use
of laboratory testing', he reads out the first paragraph:
"Researchers in several countries are working towards
developing fast and accurate laboratory tests for the SARS.
However, until those tests have been adequately field tested
and shown to be reliable, SARS diagnosis remains dependant
on the clinical findings of an atypical pneumonia not attributed
to another cause and a history of exposure to a suspect or
probable case of SARS or their respiratory secretions and
other bodily fluids".
"To enhance the future understanding of the SARS disease
process, WHO recommends that clinicians collect and store
sequential samples from patients with SARS for testing when
diagnostic tests become readily available. This is particularly
important for the first case(s) recognised in countries that
have not previously reported SARS", states the bulletin.
The WHO's table of Cumulative Number of Reported Probable
SARS
Cases however now also includes India, the 27th country
on the list, with 18 April shown as the date of last report.
It shows only one case, which is also shown as the 'recovered
case', with no death or any local chain being developed, unlike
in the eight other countries.
"The issue was simply blown out of proportion. Why our
country and the media could not handle it as gently as the
USA does", wonders Varde. Repercussion of this will affect
many areas, especially tourism, he observes.
According to the marine engineer, he or none of the passengers
was neither screened nor any written proforma was sought from
them when they arrived in Mumbai from Singapore on 30 April.
Similarly, while discharging him from the GMC hospital on
12 April, Varde also states that none of the doctors told
him to remain in isolation at home, though he rested for almost
four days before attending a birthday party on 16 April.
While he recalls that the GMC authorities were apathetic
only at the initial stages, Varde wonders why a veteran national
newspaper names of his friends and relatives, whom he had
met in Mumbai after returning from Singapore.
He also describes how yet another reputed TV news channel
contacted him on his cell phone for a live interaction and
put off the line even before he could explain his position.
"I am genuinely sorry for unknowingly creating a tense
situation for all the known and unknown people I have come
across during this time. I would also like to sincerely thank
all the people who have shown concern and supported us throughout
this crisis", states his written statement.
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