India declares Covid-19 a disaster India needs a more aggressive testing regimen: Experts
Centre terms outbreak ‘notified disaster’, opening up State Disaster Response Force’s funds, resources for equipment, quarantine Two fresh cases reported in UP and J&K; Centre says many Indians’ unwillingness to be isolated posing a big challenge
NEW DELHI: India on Saturday declared the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) outbreak a disaster, freeing up resources and funds to battle the spread of the infection that has sparked the shutdown of travel, schools and offices across the country, as two fresh cases took the total number of infections to 84 at a time when questions remain over the efficacy of containment efforts in the country.
Although the spread of Covid-19 in India has not been rapid so far, the disease has typically spiked in other countries about three weeks after the first clusters of infections were detected. With the first surge in India reported in early March, the country enters what could be its most vulnerable phase over the course of the next week.
About a dozen states are now in partial lockdown, but some experts say that if a more stringent pre-emptive lockdown is not enforced across the country, the public health system could crumble under the load of an exponential spike in the number of patients needing intensive care.
On Saturday, the Union health ministry said two fresh cases – one each in Uttar Pradesh and Jammu & Kashmir – took the total confirmed infections to 84. “Out of 84 positive cases in the country, 10 people have fully recovered and have been discharged. Contact tracing of these cases has led to the identification of over 4,000 contacts who have been put under surveillance,” said Sanjeeva Kumar, special n Set up quarantine camps as a containment measure and decide the duration for which such camps will remain activate n Use SDRF funds to procure thermal scanners and other equipment n Withdraw funds to install additional testing labs under the govt set-up
secretary at the health ministry.
The Centre also announced its decision to treat the coronavirus outbreak as a “notified disaster” for the purpose of providing assistance under the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF). The disaster management division of the home ministry issued a letter to the chief secretaries of all states. “The central government, keeping in view the spread of COVID-19 virus in India and the declaration of COVID-19 as a pandemic by the World Health Organization (WHO), by way of a special one-time dispensation, has decided to treat it as a notified disaster for the purpose of providing assistance under SDRF,” the notification said.
While an initial statement said ex-gratia relief of ~4 lakh would be provided to the families of the dead, the government reissued a modified order later with no mention of the compensation amount.
The home ministry said the
AGGRESSIVE, RANDOM TESTING
Aggressive and random testing is crucial, even for people who show no symptoms. Random testing is done to identify people who are carriers
INCREASE HEALTH CARE CAPACITY
Since Indian cases are largely travel-related, strict screening is needed at air, sea ports, etc. Increasing labs, procuring more test kits and better equipping hospitals will also help ROPE IN PRIVATE SECTOR
India’s private sector has a massive and well-equipped network of labs to carry out viral testing. Pvt hospitals can also be used to ease burden of overloaded govt hospitals CONTACT LISTING, FOLLOW-UPS
International travellers, contacts of positive cases must be strictly followed up even after their initial tests in order to pick up people who develop symptoms early
CONSIDER PRE-EMPTIVE LOCKDOWN
China’s area-specific lockdown has nearly wiped out new cases in the country. It is a model that has also been applied in other countries such as Italy and Iran, but not until it was too late
NEVER CONCEAL SYMPTOMS
Do not take a paracetamol before boarding the plane to avoid getting picked up in thermal screening at airports. If you have symptoms, report it to authorities immediately
TAKE SELF-QUARANTINE SERIOUSLY
Home quarantine is key to ensure infections don’t spread. So if you’ve come in contact with a confirmed patient, you must avoid all physical contact with others for 14 days DON'T BE AFRAID OF ISOLATION WARDS
For those who get infected, hospital isolation is vital. Evading isolation wards means you are putting not just your life, but also the lives of others in danger FOLLOW STRICT HYGIENE Washing hands with soap or an alcohol-based hand rub is very important. Following cough etiquette such as coughing/sneezing into your elbow is also key
nNEWDELHI: Experts are calling for an aggressive ramping up of testing in India to stave off the deadly infection that has claimed at least 5,500 lives across the world, pointing out that the current capacity to screen people may prove to be inadequate in case of a sudden surge in infections.
India has made arrangements to nearly double its capacity to test for the novel coronavirus and started random screening of samples, but in a country this large, the dangerous community transmission phase of the disease, when it spreads to people who have neither been to a global hot spot nor been in direct contact with someone testing positive, could have deadly ramifications.
India reported two deaths in the past week, and 84 confirmed infections, far lower than disease hot spots in China, Italy, Iran and South Korea.
Medical authorities have, until Saturday, tested 6,700 samples. India’s top medical body, the Indian Council for Medical Research (ICMR), said it is ready to perform 100,000 tests, effectively about 10,000 tests in a day. But, at the moment, only those with a history of travel to 12 countries designated as high-risk, or those who have come in contact with anyone testing positive for the coronavirus, or showing symptoms of the disease, are being tested.