D-dimer, IL-6 to join basket of COVID-19 tests: Dr Lal Pathlabs

As India reeled under the raging second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, authorities had called for a rapid increase in testing after the figures dipped initially following a massive spike in the number of people queuing up outside testing centres as well as bookings for home sample collections.

Dr Lal Pathlabs posted an in-line set of the fourth quarter, ending March 31, 2021, earnings on May 21 that were slightly lower than Q3. Om Manchanda, managing director (MD) of Dr Lal Pathlabs spoke to CNBC-TV18 about the fine print as well as the testing picture amid the second wave of COVID-19 infections.

On the COVID-19 testing business, Manchanda said, “In Q3, we had seen a spike in COVID (cases) and there was a sharp fall sometime December onwards, which continued till March. The fall was led by a primary reduction in the RT-PCR tests... Sometime later in March or maybe early April, we suddenly started seeing a spike that we saw through April and parts of May.”

Talking about the types of tests, the MD of the diagnostics firm said, “COVID testing is becoming a basket of tests. It all started with the RT-PCR test and over a period of time, we saw the emergence of antibody testing. Now, during the disease progression, we are all talking about the D-dimer and IL-6, so I think it is going to be a basket of tests.

Manchanda added that he doesn’t expect the numbers to go up very sharply unless there is a massive spread of the coronavirus disease, followed by hospitalisation.