Pune: Testing for COVID-19 samples to start at IRSHA lab

At Bharati Hospital and Research Centre, run by the Bharati Vidyapeeth Medical Foundation and Bharati Vidyapeeth Deemed University Medical College, coronavirus had been detected in a 41-year-old anganwadi worker who has been admitted to the ICU.

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Dr A C Mishra, director at the Interactive Research School for Health Affairs (IRSHA) at Bharati Vidyapeeth Deemed University, said the lab will soon start testing samples for coronavirus. Mishra, who was the former director of National Institute of Virology, added, “How long is it possible for government laboratories to test and authorities should even consider laboratories with good bio-safety facilities to start testing for coronavirus.”

At Bharati Hospital and Research Centre, run by the Bharati Vidyapeeth Medical Foundation and Bharati Vidyapeeth Deemed University Medical College, coronavirus had been detected in a 41-year-old anganwadi worker who has been admitted to the ICU.

While Dr Sanjay Lalwani, medical director, said samples of two doctors and two nurses had tested negative for coronavirus, the woman had many contacts who were being traced. There is not just a need for more samples but also for personal protective equipment, Lalwani told The Indian Express.

Meanwhile, Dr Mishra, who was involved in the epidemiology and control planning of vector borne diseases, influenza, chandipura viruses and establishment of high containment laboratories BSL 3 and BSL 4 during his tenure as NIV director, now heads the Interactive Research School for Health Affairs (IRSHA) at Bharati Vidyapeeth Deemed to be University.

“This is a non-influenza pandemic,” said Mishra, adding, “COVID-19 is not influenza although it behaves in some ways like influenza. This virus does not belong to the influenza family and infectivity is very high. When intense transmission occurs, large numbers of people can get infected. He said mild cases can result in symptoms like cough and mild fever. In severe cases, it results in life threatening pneumonia that can be fatal in the elderly, immuno-compromised people and individuals with underlying medical conditions.

“We will be starting tests soon at our laboratory. There are three PCR machines and we have procured the reagents and test kits that include primers and probes. These are manufactured by commercial companies. One can buy them separately. At least 200 samples can be tested,” Mishra said.

Tracing contacts of a coronavirus patient is a good precautionary measure but there are often cases where people who are in close connect cannot recall all their contacts.

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“In such a crisis situation, testing samples in the private sector should have started much earlier,” he said. “While the government has the capacity to test for samples with increasing numbers, standardised labs at scientific institutions and even university laboratories, where bio-safety facilities are in place to ensure samples are not mishandled, should be allowed to step up testing of samples,” Mishra said.

So far in Pune, apart from the National Institute of Virology, which is the apex Indian Council of Medical Research laboratory, the B J Medical college (BJMC) and Armed Forces Medical College can start conducting tests. At BJMC’s microbiology department, authorities said they have procured the kits from NIV and have checked five samples sent from Naidu hospital.

The ICMR has also announced that testing would be permitted at Thyrocare Mumbai, Suburban Diagnostics Mumbai, Metropolis Healthcare Ltd Mumbai and Sir H N Reliance Foundation Hospital and Research Centre, Mumbai

Yet to enter stage 3 of community transmission: State Helath Minister

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State Health Minister Rajesh Tope said several measures have been taken to prevent community transmission of coronavirus. Of the 10 new cases detected, four are from Pune, five from Mumbai and one from Navi Mumbai. While the number of people with COVID-19 has climbed to 74, Tope said we are in stage 2 of transmission. “In most cases, 50 per cent people have contracted coronavirus after returning from international trips and the remaining are their close contacts,” Tope said, adding that India is still in stage 2 of transmission of coronavirus.

In Pune, there are 27 people with coronavirus – 15 in the city and 12 in Pimpri-Chinchwad, 24 in Mumbai and four each in Nagpur, Navi Mumbai, Kalyan and Yavatmal. There are two persons in Ahmednagar and one each in Panvel, Thane, Ulhasnagar, Aurangabad and Ratnagiri.

A total of 7,452 people across the state are under home quarantine, Pradeep Awate, state surveillance officer told The Indian Express. From January 18 till date, 1,876 eople have been kept under quarantine at different hospitals. A total of 1,592 samples have been tested so far of which 74 are positive with COVID-19.

Anuradha Mascarenhas

Anuradha Mascarenhas is a Senior Editor at The Indian Express, based in Pune. With a career spanning three decades, she is one of the most respected voices in Indian journalism regarding healthcare, science and environment and research developments. She also takes a keen interest in covering women's issues . Professional Background Education: A gold medalist in Communication and Journalism from Savitribai Phule Pune University and a Master’s degree in Literature. Author: She authored the biography At The Wheel Of Research, which chronicles the life and work of Dr. Soumya Swaminathan, the former Chief Scientist at the WHO. Key Focus: She combines scientific accuracy with storytelling, translating complex medical research into compelling public and human-interest narratives. Awards and Recognition Anuradha has won several awards including the Press Council of India's national award for excellence in journalism under the gender based reporting category in 2019 and the Laadli Media award (gender sensitivity -2024). A recipient of the Lokmat journalism award (gender category-2022), she was also shortlisted for the RedInk awards for excellence in journalism-2021. Her debut book At The Wheel Of Research, an exclusive biography of Dr Soumya Swaminathan the inaugural chief scientist of World Health Organisation was also nominated in the Popular Choice Category of JK Paper AUTHER awards. She has also secured competitive fellowships including the Laadli Media Fellowship (2022), the Survivors Against TB – New Research in TB Media Fellowship (2023) and is part of the prestigious 2025 India Cohort of the WomenLift Health Leadership Journey.” Recent Notable Articles (Late 2025) 1. Cancer & Specialized Medical Care "Tata Memorial finds way to kill drug-resistant cancer cells" (Nov 26, 2025): Reporting on a breakthrough for triple-negative breast cancer, one of the most aggressive forms of the disease. Discipline, diet and purpose; How a 97-year-old professor defies ageing'' (Nov 15, 2025) Report about Prof Gururaj Mutalik, the first Head of Department at Pune's B J Government Medical College who at 97 credits his longevity to healthy habits and a strong sense of purpose. 2. Environmental Health (The "Breathless Pune" Series) Long-term exposure even to 'moderate' air leads to chronic heart, lung, kidney issues" (Nov 26, 2025): Part of an investigative series highlighting that even "safe" pollution levels are damaging to vital organs. "For every 10 µg/m3 increase in PM2.5 level, there was 6-8% jump in medicine sales" (Nov 23, 2025): Using commercial data to prove the direct link between air quality and respiratory illnesses in Pune. 3. Lifestyle & Wellness News "They didn't let cancer, diabetes and heart disease stop them from travelling" (Dec 22, 2025): A collaborative piece featuring survivors who share practical tips for traveling with chronic conditions. At 17, his BP shot up to 200/120 mmHG; Lancet study flags why child and teen hypertension doubled between 2000 and 2020'' (Nov 12,2025)--A report that focusses on 17-year-old-boy's hypertensive crisis and reflects the rising global trend of high blood pressure among children and adolescents. 4. Scientific Recognition & Infrastructure For promoting sci-comm, gender diversity: IUCAA woman prof highlighted in Nature" (Nov 25, 2025): Covering the global recognition of Indian women scientists in gender studies and physics. Pune researchers find a spiral galaxy like the Milky Way from early universe'' (December 3, 2025)- A report on how Indian researchers discovered a massive galaxy that existed when the universe was just 1.5 billion years old , one of the earliest to have been observed so far. Signature Beat: Health, Science & Women in Leadership Anuradha is known for her COVID-19 reportage, where she was one of the first journalists to provide detailed insights into the Covishield and Covaxin trials. She has a dedicated interest in gender diversity in health and science, often profiling women researchers who are breaking the "leaky pipeline" in STEM fields. Her writing style is scrupulous, often featuring interviews with top-tier scientists and health experts from various institutions. ... Read More

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