The second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic has affected rural areas on a much larger scale as compared to the first wave last year.
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During the first wave, the spread of the virus was largely limited to rural pockets in Narsipatnam and Anakapalle (Rural) mandals. However, this time, a large number of cases have been reported from the Agency areas as well, a senior official in the Integrated Tribal Development Agency (ITDA) informed The Hindu .
“If in the first wave the positivity rate in rural areas was around 5-7%, it is now 10-12%, and this can be considered as high, as the total positivity rate in the district was around 35-40% till a week ago, when the second wave was at its peak,” the official said.
However, according to him, there has been a dip in positivity rate in the urban areas in the last one week, but it is yet to be seen in the rural and non-urban areas. As predicted by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), the spread of the virus in rural areas could be the next big worry, he said.
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The district administration agrees that there are a few lacunae in the health infrastructure in the rural areas where the spread is rapid, but efforts are on to plug the gaps.
Fever survey is key
The key to tackling the pandemic in rural and tribal areas lies in the fever survey, said ITDA Project Officer S. Venkateswar.
“We have already completed eight rounds of survey and we are in the ninth round now. Each survey is taken up for three days and it is done by Asha volunteers, and it is basically done to weed out the persons with symptoms from the rest of the community, said District Collector V. Vinay Chand.
Locals step up
Appreciating the efforts of local sarpanches and local youth, the Collector said that in many parts of rural areas and Agency areas, the locals have come out to start their own isolation centres. The moment a person with symptoms is identified during the fever survey, he or she is moved to the isolation centre if there is no provision of isolation at home. Once admitted, a Rapid Antigen Test is conducted and if required, swabs are sent to Trunat centres at the nearest CHC, said Mr. Vinay Chand.
If one tests positive, an isolation kit is provided for mild cases and those who need hospitalisation are sent to hospitals.
Hospitals
In the rural areas, there are 11 CHCs with 15 beds in each. Some of the beds are compatible for B- or D-type oxygen cylinders. “We have around 200 oxygen concentrators and they are being dispatched to the CHCs,” he said.
Moderate cases are shifted to the area hospitals in Araku and Narsipatnam or to the district hospitals at Anakapalle and Paderu.
Both the area hospitals have around 75 beds each and district hospitals have 100 beds and all are oxygen cylinder compatible. Serious cases are being shifted to Visakhapatnam, Mr. Vinay Chand said.