VIJAYAWADA: In the initial period of Covid-19 pandemic, it was Kerala that garnered praise for the way it tackled the situation. But Andhra Pradesh did not take long to set a benchmark in dealing with the crisis. AP collected the first sample of a foreign returnee on February 1 when it had no coronavirus testing laboratory. In the initial days, the state had to depend on National Institute of Virology (NIV), Pune and Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB), Hyderabad. As the cases rose, the state established its first Covid-19 testing lab at Sri Venkateswara Institute of Medical Sciences (SVIMS), Tirupati. By July their numbers rose to 78, and in 10 months, the state had established 150 such labs, both government and private, working round-the-clock.
The state has also brought down the time taken to test one lakh samples from almost two months (59 days) to four days by increasing the number of labs, eventually increasing its testing capacity. “When we realised that the virus was spreading fast, we understood that the only way to tackle the problem is to improve the medical infrastructure. Our aim was to establish labs, train technicians and conduct as many tests possible. Within 10 months since the first Covid-19 case was reported, we established 150 laboratories. Apart from that, thousands of lab technicians and scientists were given rigorous training in detecting the virus during tests. Numerous new technicians were also appointed to increase the workforce,” commissioner for health and family welfare Katamneni Bhaskar told TNIE.
Despite boosting the testing capacity, it was not at all a cakewalk for the state health department as by the time it set up 80 labs the Covid-19 curve had already reached its peak. From 1.86 per cent out of the first million samples tested, the positivity rate skyrocketed to 13.21 per cent for the second million tests, and a whooping 16.86 per cent for the third million.
“Though the most accurate form of testing, RT-PCR took more time to give out results which eventually gave doctors less time to treat the patients. So we started using other testing methods that gave instant results. However, all samples were eventually tested by the RT-PCR method. But starting treatment early bought the doctors more time. From two to three days, each patient was treated for 10 days—either in hospitals or quarantine centres,” Bhaskar explained.
As the Covid-19 curve started to fall, this strategy helped the state in bringing down the positivity rate to as low as 1.65 per cent for the fourth million tests. “Though the positivity rate was above 15 per cent during the peak, AP was doing much better than other states during their respective peak phases.” Moreover, introduction of the volunteer system just before the pandemic hit the state came as a blessing in disguise. The 4.5 lakh village/ward volunteers appointed at 11,000 villages helped trace foreign returnees, returnees from other highly-affected states, contacts of those who tested positive, spread awareness and conduct surveillance of people under home quarantine.
Also, Andhra Pradesh is the first state to use mobile phone tower signals to track those under home quarantine. Any Covid-19 positive person going beyond 100 metres from where he/she is being treated alerts the authorities. Though the state’s financial situation was in shambles, the government prioritised the health crisis and has being spending nearly Rs 1 crore each day to curb the spread. The health department also successfully managed to arrest the spread during other health emergencies such as the Vizag gas leak incident and the mystery illness that broke out in Eluru.
The state government, within a month of the first reported case of coronavirus, announced inclusion of the treatment into the free health insurance scheme, YSR Aarogyasri. In another effort to encourage people to come forward and get tested (in case they had symptoms), the government had announced Rs 2,000 as an appreciation amount for each person.
It was also lauded for its handling of the migrant issue as it declared that the exchequer would bear the entire cost of movement of migrant workers, both leaving and arriving in AP. Now, the effort is to reach 100 per cent RT-PCR testing. Though the plan was to achieve the goal by 2020-end, the state has only been able to attain 60 to 70 per cent of the target.
465 cold storages ready for vaccines
Even though the officials are confident that AP won’t be hit by a second Covid wave, the state is leaving no stone unturned to tackle the situation in the wake of cases of a new mutated strain. “The second wave would have hit the state when educational institutions and schools reopened, and inter/intra-state transportation resumed. But now we have a new strain of Covid to worry about. Tracing and testing of all those who have returned from the United Kingdom in the past one month is going on in full swing,” Bhaskar assured. Andhra Pradesh, which recently took part in the vaccination dry run, has 465 cold storages and 29 refrigerated vehicles ready.