THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Something is amiss with the state’s Covid-19 prevention and control strategy. On one hand, five districts have a test positivity rate (TPR) of above five per cent and, on the other, transmission of infection is increasing in 40 of the 142 active clusters. According to public health experts, the high TPR and increasing cases in active clusters urgently call for reconsideration of the plans to control the transmission. In Malappuram, Kasaragod, Thiruvananthapuram, Ernakulam and Alappuzha, the TPR is above five per cent.
“In assessing the spread of an outbreak, TPR is a vital mark. It refers to the number of positive cases per hundred tests. From an epidemiological perspective, if the positivity rate is above five per cent, it indicates that the state is only testing the sickest patients who seek medical attention. In short, there is a flaw in understanding the extent of virus spread in communities,” said an officer of the health department.
Following an analysis from August 1 to 7, the health department has stated that it is desirable to maintain the TPR at less than five per cent, preferably around two per cent. As per the analysis, Malappuram has the highest TPR in the state with 10.3 per cent. In the same period, the TPR was 10.1 per cent in Kasaragod, followed by 9.2 per cent in Thiruvananthapuram, 8.3 per cent in Ernakulam and 6.1 per cent in Alappuzha.
“The immediate priority is to bring down the TPR in these districts. For that, testing has to be increased with careful planning. This includes establishing a system for ensuring testing of all individuals with influenza-like symptoms, adequate engagement of the private sector and encouraging more testing in the private sector, and maximum utilisation of existing testing centres,” said a senior officer at the Directorate of Health Services.
Clusters in 8 districts
Another major concern is the existence of active clusters and the increasing spread of infection in some of these. Of the 174 clusters reported in the state, 142 are still active and the transmission prevails in 40 of them. “Kasaragod, Alappuzha, Thiruvananthapuram, Ernakulam, Wayanad, Kozhikode, Pathanamthitta and Malappuram districts have to focus on rigorous cluster containment strategies. Also, it has turned out that in Alappuzha, Wayanad and Kasaragod, the current bed occupancy at Covid First-Line Treatment Centres is 70 per cent or above. This calls for opening more such centres,” the analysis report stated.