The devastating second wave of COVID-19, which has left a large population in financial and emotional distress, might peter out by the end of June in Telangana. Besides, cases are estimated to drop significantly in one week. This is expected to bring down the number of severe cases, thereby decreasing the load on hospitals.
Senior officials of the Health department made these projections at a press conference on Wednesday.
They also spoke about post-COVID out-patient services at government hospitals to check on people who suffer from complications after recovery, special vaccination drive for high-risk groups such as fruit and vegetable vendors from May 28 to 30, alternatives to Liposomal Amphotericin-B and other crucial aspects that are troubling people.
Pointing out that the State would come out of the second wave by end of June, Director of Public Health G. Srinivasa Rao said that the situation would come under control by May-end.
The decline in positivity rate was also mentioned. Director of Medical Education K. Ramesh Reddy said that the cases will drop significantly in the next one week.
Stating that 50% of beds in government hospitals were available, Dr Ramesh Reddy said that the beds in Gandhi Hospital and the Telangana Institute of Medical Sciences are currently full as critical cases are being treated there. The senior official said that beds in the two hospitals would be available when the critical cases recover and get discharged.
Early detection
Dr Srinivasa Rao spoke about the State government’s fever survey and COVID Out-Patient (OP) services which is helping in early identification of people with symptoms of COVID. This aids in early isolation, treatment, and recovery.
The senior official said that increase in incidence of COVID in rural areas is not witnessed in Telangana unlike in other States as the fever survey was initiated around two weeks ago which helps in early identification and recovery.
Over 13 lakh people were screened at 1,518 OP clinics at government health facilities and 2,78,502 people with symptoms were identified. And another 2,41,103 people with symptoms were identified by 33,374 teams who conducted round one of fever survey. Isolation kits were distributed to them.
Dr Srinivasa Rao said that over 1.57 lakh people with symptoms were identified in the second round of the survey.
Over 1 lakh tests daily
The COVID-19 tests which dropped to around 70,000 a day might increase to over 1 lakh again. The Health department conducted 1 lakh to 1.3 lakh tests per day from April 8 to 24. However, the daily testing gradually dipped to around 70,000 thereafter. People have been complaining that the number of tests at government health facilities were limited and that they had to wait for many days to get tested.
Citing Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao’s orders that no one should be denied a COVID test, Dr Srinivasa Rao said they will increase the tests to 1 lakh to 1.5 lakh daily in a few days.
