Focused drive from today to prevent second wave

LUCKNOW: The health department has issued orders to initiate preventive measures in anticipation that the number of Covid cases may rise again during winter.

In this connection, the state health and family welfare department has decided to launch a fortnight-long focused sample test drive in all districts of UP from Thursday to check the spread of the Covid infection and prevent the possibility of a second wave.

Additional chief secretary Amit Mohan Prasad said even as Covid cases were on the decline, a second wave could not be ruled out. A second wave has been reported in European countries and the United States. The state saw the maximum 7,103 cases on September 11 and is now recording around 2,000 fresh cases every day.

In the directives, it has been mentioned that medical staff should be given fresh training on management of Covid patients and focus on vulnerable groups such as vendors and drivers should be increased.

Against one positive case, 25 contacts should be traced and patients of severe acute respiratory infection be put under surveillance, both in government and private hospitals, according the directives. Regular testing of prisoners, people living in old age homes, juvenile homes, and women shelter homes should also be done, the directives add. Also, a message should be circulated among people that the threat hasn’t gone away, the directives said.

“More tests will bring more cases, but there is no issue as adequate number of beds are available and this (preventive measures) will also help bring case fatality rate (down) and also reduce possible load on the health infrastructure that might come in winter,” said the order.