Infection spreading fast but most patients don’t need O2 support: Min

The cases of COVID-19 have been increasing at a fast pace and about 7-8 states are reporting 1,000 to 5,000 cases, said Health Minister Ma Subramanian. He spoke to the media after inspecting the contact tracing process at an apartment in Navalur on Saturday.

“All affected people are given necessary medical support and steps are taken to control the spread,” he said.

The Minister met people in home isolation and enquired about their health status. They were directed to not come out of their houses until recovery. The complex has more than 1,000 houses and maintenance workers have also been asked to undergo RT-PCR test.

The State Health Department is organising special camps for the unvaccinated. Subramanian noted that out of the 5,912 active cases in Tamil Nadu, 92% were in home isolation while the remaining 8% were treated in government and private hospitals.

“Those who’ve been admitted to hospitals have only mild symptoms such as throat pain, headache, fever and cold,” he said. “Most of them do not require oxygen or strong medication.”

The Minister added that of the 7-8 sub-variants of Omicron, currently BA4 and BA5 were active in the State. “These sub-variants are highly transmissible, spreading easily within the family,” he stated. “People must wear masks and get vaccinated, which is the only way to contain the spread.”

Vaccination is available 24-7 in more than 50 places across the State. The next mega vaccination drive will be on July 10. Regarding vaccinating children, Subramanian said, “Corbevax was being administered to children in 12-14 age group and Covaxin to 15-17 age group. People above 18 can pay for vaccination at private hospitals.”