'3T strategy helped reduce COVID-19 cases in Andhra Pradesh': Health chief

Andhra Pradesh has been witnessing a steady decline in the number of Covid-19 fatalities. In all, 187 patients fell victim to Covid from November 17 to December 17.
Serosurveillance held twice in the State helped the officials focus on districts that need more attention. (File Photo | PTI)
Serosurveillance held twice in the State helped the officials focus on districts that need more attention. (File Photo | PTI)

VIJAYAWADA: Andhra Pradesh has been witnessing a steady decline in the number of Covid-19 fatalities. In all, 187 patients fell victim to Covid from November 17 to December 17. In the 31 days, the number of fatalities was in two digits for six days, between six and nine for nine days, and between one and five for 16 days.

Reiterating that the 3T strategy of Tracing, Testing and Treating adopted by the government yielded results to combat Covid effectively, Health Commissioner Katamaneni Bhaskar told The New Indian Express that village/ward volunteers, who work at the field level, and the use of technology helped us in tracing the primary and secondary contacts of those who tested positive. More than one testing method also came as a boon to identify Covid cases. 

Now, doctors are having at least one week to 10 days time to treat each Covid patient, which is a key factor in reducing the number of fatalities. This was not the case earlier when tracing of patients was difficult, eventually delaying the entire process, he explained.

On the decrease in the number of daily tests, he said, “The number of tests per day appears to be less because the state is conducting more RT-PCR tests, which takes more time to declare results. But, RT-PCR tests are more reliable. Now that the Covid curve is flattening, our reliance on this method is more. The reduced number of Covid tests in the health bulletin does not mean that less tests are being conducted.”

Second wave unlikely: Health commissioner

Serosurveillance held twice in the State helped the officials focus on districts that need more attention, he said, and stated that the districts where more people have antibodies means lesser number of cases and vice versa. 

​On the possibility of a second wave of Covid in the State given that more commercial establishments are opening and private firms are set to ask employees to come to offices from the New Year, he said it is unlikely. 

“People are fully aware of the situation now. The reopening of theatres is unlikely to have any major impact on the number of cases,” he added.

No special curbs for New Year

Bhaskar said there will not be any dedicated SOP for the New Year celebrations from the Health Department. 

​“There will not be any exclusive restrictions. However, the already issued guidelines regarding public gathering and others must be followed,” he said.

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