A survey of around 2,000 medical tele-consultations in Telangana has revealed that 94% of COVID-19 patients, including 1,500 tested at primary health care centres, have reported mild disease and underwent treatment in home isolation while less than 6% required hospitalisation.
NGO Helping Hand Foundation (HFH), which shared the survey observations with the media and claimed that it is the first grassroots-level survey in connection with the pandemic, said the study was carried out between August 15 and September 15.
“We tied up with four public health centres at Bandlaguda, Meerpet, Bholakpur and Bible House from where the data of 1,500 cases was analysed. We have seen that a big majority was treated under home isolation and they did well. Another 480 case data was from online consultations and calls from COVID-positive cases in districts,” said Mujtaba Hasan Askari from the HHF.
The PHCs covered neighbourhoods such as Prashanth Nagar, Lenin Nagar, Gandhi Nagar, Osman Nagar, HUDA Colony and Ghouse Nagar, among others. Meanwhile, cases from the districts which were analysed included Ranga Reddy (90), Karimnagar (54), Warangal (42), Adilabad (15), Nizamabad (26), Nalgonda (40), Medak (35), Siddipet (24), Mahbubnagar (44), and Khammam (30).
The survey observed that there is a need to control stigma associated with COVID-19 patients in villages, and stated that there is a need to bring about awareness of the virus to reduce fear and anxiety.
