BHUBANESWAR: With a massive surge of 8,386 new cases in the last 24 hours Odisha is all set to enter the explosive phase of the Covid-19 pandemic that will add more pressure to the already over-stressed healthcare system.
The fresh cases rose by over 38 percent in a day pushing the active cases over 50,000. One in every five persons tested in the state is found to be infected as the test positivity rate (TPR) has shot up to nearly 20 percent (percent) from 16.4 percent a day before.
The situation is more catastrophic in western Odisha districts with Kalahandi emerging as the worst hit. Every one in two persons getting tested in the district is turning out to be Covid-19 positive.
The district with a population of 16 lakh has been recording a more than 50 percent positivity rate for the last two days. While the TPR in the district was 62.38 percent on Monday, it was 55.75 percent on Tuesday.
What is worrying is that the district continues to test less despite the explosive outbreak and the share of RT-PCR test is negligible. Of the 226 samples tested including 209 through rapid antigen kits, in the last 24 hours, 126 were found to be positive. Similarly, 277 had tested positive of the 444 samples the previous day. The share of RAT was 281.
Not only Kalahandi, but the TPR is also above the state average of 19.7 percent in 13 districts. The positivity rate was 42.64 percent in Sundargarh, 39.4 percent in Sambalpur, 31.84 percent in Khurda, 30.5 percent in Jajpur, 26.7 percent in Nabarangpur, 26.3 percent in Bargarh, 25.9 percent in Angul, 25.7 percent in Jharsuguda, 24.2 percent in Nuapada, 23.2 percent in Balangir and 23.1 percent in Puri.
While a bulk of the cases on the day were from Khurda with 1,840 people testing positive, eight western Odisha districts bordering Chhattisgarh contributed 3,035 cases to the tally.
Among the worst-hit districts, Sundargarh reported 933 cases, followed by Cuttack (496), Jharsuguda (433), Nabarangpur (388), Balangir (358), and Sambalpur
(307). With 1,044 cases, the TPR in Bhubaneswar at 21 percent was the highest ever recorded so far.
A member of the technical committee formed to advise the State on Covid management said even if the government is not in favour of lockdown, a complete shutdown of districts and cities having high TPR is the only possible way to block the transmission at this juncture.
"If the TPR is above 50 percent with maximum antigen tests, the situation is really grim. The actual positivity rate will be much higher because there would be many asymptomatic or mildly symptomatic patients who are not getting themselves tested. We are not testing enough," he observed.
Director of Health Services Dr Bijay Mohapatra, however, attributed the rise in infections in western regions and cities like Bhubaneswar, Cuttack, and Rourkela to community transmission and called for stringent containment measures.
"The State has reported over 8,000 cases for the first time since the pandemic. We are closely monitoring the situation and ramping up health infrastructure in view of the rising cases. Districts have been asked to go for localized micro containment zones in case clusters emerge. People need to cooperate, stay at home and shun all non-essential travel," he added.
Ten more patients, including three each from Puri and Rayagada districts, succumbed to the disease taking the cumulative death toll to 2,017. The number of active cases stood at 50,724.
Meanwhile, the rising demand for oxygen has prompted the Odisha government to issue a standard operating procedure (SOP) for the rational use of the life-saving gas in Covid facilities across the state.
The SOP will facilitate rational and timely use of oxygen in ICU/HDU and general beds to ensure that a critical patient is not deprived of oxygen when in need.
The guideline is aimed at promoting judicious use of oxygen therapy in individual cases and enhancing accountability for oxygen conservation through monitoring and audit without compromising the quality of care.
The Health Department has also formed an oxygen audit committee to supervise inventory planning, oxygen consumption pattern, regular repair and maintenance of gas pipelines, gas plants, and wall-mounted gas outlets. It will review the consumption pattern of oxygen twice a week and conduct an audit and reduce oxygen consumption if found to be in excess.
Additional Chief Secretary of Health PK Mohapatra said oxygen is the key drug in the management of Covid-19 patients who very frequently develop poor saturation of oxygen resulting in organ damage. Timely use of oxygen can reduce mortality and morbidity, he added.
The state government on Wednesday launched telemedicine service for the patients in home isolation during the second wave of the pandemic.
The teleconsultation service is being provided by all seven Medical Colleges and Hospitals (MCHs), 30 district headquarters hospitals (DHHs), Capital Hospital at Bhubaneswar, Rourkela Government Hospital (RGH) and Shishubhavan at Cuttack.
Around 88 percent of the Covid-19 positive people are in home isolation. They can consult physicians at the DHHs, Capital Hospital, RGH and four new MCHs between 8 are to 5 pm while the telemedicine service is available round the clock in three MCHs at Cuttack, Burla, and Berhampur besides Shishubhavan.