CHENNAI: As the total number of active cases in Tamil Nadu touched 1.31 lakh, with 23,989 cases being recorded in one day, the State government on Saturday issued a revised testing protocol which makes testing of contacts of positive cases mandatory only for those determined as high-risk based on age or comorbidities.
Puducherry’s test positivity rate (TPR) shot up to 51.75 per cent with 1,213 samples testing positive out of 2,344 tested in the last 24 hours ending 10 am on Saturday while TN’s TPR was 15.3 per cent. As per the revised guidelines, people who must be compulsorily tested include those with symptoms like fever, sore throat, loss of taste/smell, high-risk contacts, individuals undertaking international travel and those arriving from abroad.
Admitted patients may not be tested more than once a week and no emergency procedure like surgery must be delayed due to lack of test. Asymptomatic patients undergoing surgical/non-surgical invasive procedures, including pregnant women who are hospitalised, should not be tested unless it warrants a test.
“Asymptomatic contacts need not be tested as it ensures that those with symptoms and risk get tested quickly. TN is geared up for the rise in cases. There is no need for panic,” said a Health Department official.
‘Fewer patients have lung infection this time’
Closer to Chennai, infections are rising in adjoining districts of Chengalpattu, which also has a positivity rate of 27.1 per cent. Among districts, Tiruvallur has 25.3 per cent TPR, Ranipet 23.5 per cent, Krishnagiri 21.6 per cent and Coimbatore has 16.7 per cent TPR.
The virus is mild among the vaccinated, said Dr K Kolandaswamy, retired director of TN public health department, adding that healthcare facilities have been ramped up after the second wave. Officials say fewer patients show lung infection in the third wave. The most common symptoms among patients in the third wave are fever, headache, body pain and/or upper respiratory infection such as running nose, cough, nasal congestion and sore throat.
According to Chennai Corporation staff, people with symptoms must get tested and not wait for loss of taste and smell as they may not occur even if they are Covid-19 positive as seen in many cases now. Meanwhile, Health Secretary J Radhakrishnan, in a letter, urged district officials to keep the mortality rate as low as possible. “Sustained awareness drives are needed on mask-wearing, social distance, hand washing with focus on places of crowding,” he said in his letter. No one should be assigned home quarantine without a basic clinical assessment and assessment of facilities for home quarantine, he said.
Contact the City Corporation Covid helpline at 044 25384520 & 044 46122300.
Med kits for those waiting for result
People waiting for RT-PCR test results will be given medical kits containing Vitamin C, zinc and paracetamol tablets along with kabasura kudineer, the city corporation has said. Azithromycin will be given to those who need it
Half of TN’s total cases in city
Chennai had 54,685 active cases, which is nearly half of TN’s total, and recorded its highest single-day spike of 8,978 cases on Saturday. The city’s TPR surged from 3.3% on Jan 1 to 28.6% .
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