THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Buoyed by the first signs of a downward trend in the third wave, the government has revised the guidelines excluding primary contacts of Covid patients from quarantine. The weekly infection rate has declined sharply and daily Covid cases are expected to drop from the second week of February, said Health Minister Veena George.
She, however, cautioned against lowering the guard for the next three weeks. The weekly infection rate, calculated on the basis of infections recorded in the last week of December, has declined from 215% in the previous week to 71% this week.
The third wave that began on January 1 saw the rate at 45% in the first week, 148% in the second and 215% in the third. The state reported 54,537 new cases with a test positivity rate of 47% on Friday. It’s the fourth day in succession that the state reported around 50,000 new cases.
The health department has adopted a practical approach in Covid management, by mandating quarantine only to caregivers of Covid patients. If a person tests positive, all of his or her primary contacts need not be in quarantine. “Covid management for third wave is different from previous waves.
Most people have taken vaccine. Also it has been found that Omicron variant causes less severity,” said Veena. She said anganwadi workers will call up women living alone to offer help such as food, medicine and counselling. Women living alone, pregnant women, women with Covid, elderly women and women living alone as others in the family are infected will get the help.
Help needed
Minister Veena George has sought the help of the medical community to do voluntary work for two months. Medical professionals and retired doctors with temporary or permanent registration with Travancore-Cochin Medical Councils shall apply. The health department will issue certificates in return for their voluntary work. All districts will have a pool of medical professionals.