For every suspected case tested for COVID-19 in Punjab, Kerala tests four persons for the contagion. (File)
With a coronavirus death rate that is three times the national average, Punjab compares poorly to Kerala in saving lives of those hit by the deadly virus. Punjab has recorded 12 deaths so far, while Kerala has just had three. This has now made Punjab, which was first to impose a COVID curfew in the country, sit up and notice the Kerala Model.
Swift curfew, delayed testing
Although Punjab was the first state in the country to proactively impose a curfew to contain the spread of the disease and even adopt stringent measures, its response to ramp up testing, and check the number of deaths has been found wanting. For every suspected case tested for COVID-19 in Punjab, Kerala tests four persons for the contagion. A state that has won accolades internationally for flattening the COVID-19 curve, Kerala had by April 12 tested 14,163 samples, while Punjab’s figure was 3,909. The southern state’s rate of testing is 3.62 times than the agrarian state. Kerala was also far ahead of Punjab in starting rapid tests and even setting up kiosks for to conduct them. Punjab is yet to roll out rapid testing despite an ICMR nod. According to Additional Chief Secretary Vini Mahajan, the state only received its first lot of 1,000 rapid testing kits on Monday. But the delay means that mobile testing at hotspots has not taken off even 10 days after CM Amarinder Singh made the announcement.
Difference in recovery rate
Kerala’s first case was reported in January and total cases stand at 375. Punjab reported the first case in March and has 176 positive patients so far. But the real difference is in the recovery rate. The southern state’s recovery rate is 48 per cent with 179 cases recovering. And it is much higher than Punjab where only 25 patients have been cured against a total tally of 176 recorded cases. This makes for a recovery rate of just 14 per cent in Punjab.
By Sunday, Punjab had only 8,121 persons in home quarantine compared to Kerala that had 1,22,676. They also had 814 in hospital quarantine, while Punjab had 1,141.
Punjab looks at ‘Kerala Model’
Authorities in Punjab, who had been studying the Kerala model, claim that the state had a headstart as it got its first case early. “Kerala was the first state to get affected. They were the first to start quarantining because they had a headstart. Hence, they got a lot of time to study, prepare and react. Also, they have been following South Korea model by ramping up their testing. Although, it is too early to say anything as the data is too small, we are also getting there,” said a government functionary.
What Kerala did differently
On what Kerela is doing differently than Punjab, the government has studied that psychosocial support, with 1,058 personnel working and providing tele-counselling to 1,87,465 persons in quarantine/isolation in Kerala has proved beneficial.
Also, the coastal state took clearance from ICMR to provide chemoprophylaxis and Hyrdoxychloroquine to all asymptomatic health care workers and asymptomatic household contacts of laboratory confirmed cases. This is something that Punjab has looked at. No healthcare worker has been provided hydroxychloroquine yet.
Kerala also became the first state to seek and get permission from the Centre for trying plasma therapy on infected patients. Punjab has not attempted this.
Punjab government officials feel that Kerala had much better health care infrastructure as was known to everyone but their better flow of patients (primary to secondary to tertiary) was much better.