Telangana begins fever survey, to distribute 1 cr home isolation kits

Hyderabad, Jan 21:  Authorities in Telangana began a fever survey across the state on Friday to identify people with Covid-19 symptoms and distribute home isolation kits free of cost.

The state government said it has a crore home isolation kits ready for distribution among those who either tested positive for Covid or are having symptoms.

With the number of Covid cases rising in the state for the last three weeks, the medical and health department in coordination with municipal administration, panchayat raj and other departments launched the door-to-door survey.

Healthcare workers were going door to door in Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC), other municipal corporations, municipalities and gram panchayats to check out if any inmate is having symptoms like fever, cold and cough.

With GHMC and surrounding urban districts of Rangareddy and Medchal Malkajgiri accounting for majority of the daily Covid cases, authorities were specially focusing here.

Meanwhile, hundreds of workers are working round-the-clock to prepare home isolation kits for distribution across the state. Authorities were using playgrounds or other spacious premises in Hyderabad to prepare the kits.

At Victory Playground, more than 200 workers, including women, were busy preparing the kits. Each kit contains seven medicines and an advisory on how to use them. The medicines include Azithromycin (antibiotics/antiviral), Paracetamol (fever), Levocetirizine (cold), Ranitidine (acidity), Vitamin C, Multivitamin and Vitamin D for improving immunity.

A health official said the medicines provided in the kit have to be taken for five days. The kits are meant for individuals who tested positive and started developing symptoms.

As per the leaflet provided in the kit, Covid positive patients have been advised to monitor their temperature on a daily basis, do a six minute walk at normal pace and contact a doctor immediately if the temperature continues to persist or patients feel breathless after walking for six minutes.

Health minister T. Harish Rao said that the fever survey, which was done during the Covid second wave last year, had given excellent results, saving the lives of many. He pointed out that it was appreciated by the NITI Aayog and the report of the economic survey, which had considered it as a best practice, prompting the Centre to direct other states to follow it.

The minister said the need for another round of fever survey was felt as in the ongoing third wave some of those infected by Covid are not showing symptoms while some others are not coming forward to undergo the tests. "Hence, we are going to the doorsteps of such people," he said.

Telangana on Wednesday reported 4,207 new cases, an increase of 18.27 per cent over the previous day.

Health officials said 56 per cent of the cases were reported from GHMC, Medchal Malkajgiri and Rangareddy.

The authorities conducted 1,20,215 tests during the 24-hour period. For a third consecutive day, over one lakh samples were tested across the state.

According to health officials, the positivity rate remained low at around 3.5 per cent.

The number of active cases in the state rose to 26,633.