Government adopts new strategy to arrest Covid spread in rural areas of Andhra
VIJAYAWADA: After the partial curfew was imposed across the state from the first week of May, the daily Covid cases came down in urban areas, but the same was not witnessed in rural areas. The number of fresh infections being reported are more in rural areas than in urban areas now.
Taking cognizance of the fact that caseload in rural areas is on rise, the State government has adopted a number of measures besides strengthening tracing, testing, treatment and vaccination. Door to door fever survey was conducted for three days across the state, with focus on rural areas and around 90,000 suspected Covid cases were identified.
According to state nodal officer for Covid-19 A Srikanth, monitoring, screening, isolation and referral systems in rural areas have been strengthened. He said identifying people with symptoms of Covid-19, testing their samples and suggesting home isolation or hospitalisation in case results were positive is one of the strategies adopted. Focus is now more on breaking the chain, so the spread of virus could be contained at the earliest.
One of the important measures taken by the State government to contain the spread of virus in rural areas is delegating Asha workers to monitor, screen, isolate and treat fever cases. They have to identify those suffering from fever, influenza or other respiratory related problems (ILI/SARI) with the help of village health workers, sanitation and nutrition committees and village volunteers. OPDs will be held in health sub centres in every village for minimum one hour for testing and treating ILI/SARI cases. Wide publicity for the same will be given. Periodically ASHA workers along with village volunteers will visit every household in respective villages.
In case of Covid suspects are identified, they will be isolated from the rest and home isolation kits will be provided to them within 24 hours. Their samples will be collected and sent for testing (RAT or RT-PCR). ANMs are being trained in performing RAT to decrease pressure on doctors.
Covid suspects will be made to stay in home isolation till the test results are out. Those tested positive will be provided moral support and care will be taken to ensure the infection is not spread to others in the family. ANMs will monitor them on a daily basis. For those suffering from comorbidities, ASHA workers will facilitate tele-consultation with medical officers, besides teleconsultation from 104 call centres. If there are serious cases with oxygen saturation levels falling, they will be shifted to either to Covid Care Centres or hospitals based on the severity.
RAT kits are being stocked at all the health sub-centres in villages, HWCs and PHCs. Meanwhile, ASHA workers and ANMs with help of village volunteers are tracking the primary and secondary contacts of those who tested positive. As more than 80-85 per cent cases are with mild symptoms, home isolation is being recommended and in case of moderate symptoms, they are being sent to Covid Care Centres, to lessen pressure on hospitals, where serious cases are being dealt with.
ASHAs and ANMs are being asked to closely monitor the cases with low-levels of oxygen saturation during their home visits. ASHAs are being asked to alert ANMs if they notice saturation levels are less than 94 per cent. Temperature and pulse should be checked with oximeters.
In case a patient is having SpO2 levels less than 94 per cent and experiencing pain in chest, difficulty in breathing, ASHAs are instructed to provide medical assistance with help of village volunteers and shift them to Covid care centre or hospital. To take care of those in the villages not having home isolation facilities, mini Covid Care Centres are being opened at village-levels.