CHENNAI: The COVID-19 positivity rate at the Chennai Corporation’s fever camps has come down from 31 percent in the first week of July to 18 percent in August.
On August 6, out of the 88,247 samples taken, 16,524 had turned positive, which gives a positivity rate of 18 percent. On July 7, the positivity rate was at 31 percent, the highest, after 10,569 tested positive from the 37,616 samples.
It was in the first week of July that the civic body ramped up tests to 10,000 a day while close to 1800 samples were drawn from the fever camps.
Interpreting this data, experts say that it is a good sign which gives more evidence, apart from the drop in daily cases and overall positivity rate, that the spread is slowing down.
“Fever camps were daily held mostly in hotspots and they tested only symptomatic patients, contacts, those with Influenza like Illnesses and Severe Acute Respiratory Illnesses. With such focused testing, a huge fall in positivity rate shows that symptomatic cases too have come down,’’ said former Director of Public Health Dr K Kolandasamy.
While about 30,000 people had been attending the camps in July, the number came down to around 26,000 in August.
This dip in attendance indicates that fewer people have come after the intense lockdown was lifted on July 5 but the samples drawn remained the same around 1800.
To target testing at workplaces, the civic body expanded its camps to markets and adjoining streets as well.
"Apart from the camps held at the Urban Primary Health Centres and Hotspots, there are mobile medical unit (MMUs) fever camps separately for busy areas like markets,'' an official with the Corporation's Public Health Department said.
The official said that the MMUs are held only in some Corporation zones where it is required. "Out of the 500 fever camps held daily, there are about 50 mobile camps in hotspot areas. We announce the camp an hour earlier in autos.''
As of August 6, 16.46 lakh people have attended the 28,710 camps held so far. Among them, 93,740 ILI cases were picked up and 88,247 samples were taken.
Dr Kolandasamy said that the fever camps were rigorous as the same doctors went to the same hotspots daily, while door to door fever staff went around the street to pick up symptomatic cases. “This serves as a good result for the containment work done,’’ he said.
Speaking to The New Indian Express, Corporation Commissioner G Prakash said that the fever camps were indeed a game changer as lakhs of people have attended so far.
“Citizens need to make use of this opportunity. If not for themselves, they must at least bring their neighbours and elderly people whom they can guide and help,’’ he said.
After hovering around the 1200 case mark for almost a month, the city’s daily cases dropped to 984 for the first time since June 16. Currently, the daily test positivity rate for the city is around 8
percent.
However, experts warn that people must not let their guard down. “Transmission needs to reduce further and come down to the hundreds. For that, masks, handwash, social distancing and adequate ventilation in offices and stores must be adhered to,’’ said Dr Kolandasamy.