Medical personnel wait at a drive-through coronavirus (COVID-19) testing station, in Seattle.
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AP
Govt. prioritises inventory of protective gear, hand sanitisers
The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), the apex body for bio-medical research, has said that India will not participate in the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) clinical trials for coronavirus (COVID-19) as of now because the country has a very small sample size.
State Helpline numbers for COVID-19 | Interactive map of confirmed coronavirus cases in India
“There is no forward movement on this as we cannot contribute favourably. The numbers that we can offer WHO is extremely limited as India is still witnessing local transmission. Of course, there is nothing stopping us from joining the trial later on, if the country does witness a rise in COVID-19 numbers,” said Dr. R. Gangakhedkar, head, Epidemiology and Communicable Diseases-I (ECD-I).
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He added, “The countries participating currently — in the five-arm clinical trial looking at drugs, treatment approach, vaccine e