22% migrants with Covid-19 symptoms test positive in Uttar Pradesh

LUCKNOW: About 22.2% of the symptomatic migrant workers have tested positive in Uttar Pradesh, said principal secretary health and family welfare Amit Mohan Prasad here on Tuesday.
Speaking at the official briefing, Prasad said: “About 4.75 lakh migrant workers quarantined at home have been surveyed by the ASHA workers. In all, they screened 565 persons with symptoms who were tested for Covid-19.”
Adding that the lab reports of 117 is out and it revealed that 26 tested positive while the remaining 91 were found negative, Prasad stated: “This suggests that the positivity rate among migrants was 22.2% which is several folds high when compared with the corresponding figure of 2.6% for UP.”
Follow home quarantine norms strictly: Prasad to UP migrants
In wake of the finding, Prasad urged migrant workers to strictly follow norms of home quarantine in larger interest of their family members. Migrant in fact formed a major chunk of new cases reported on Tuesday. As per the health officials, the number of new cases had already registered maximum for a day -- 292.
Senior government officials, preferring anonymity, revealed that 70% of the new cases in the state were migrants. Considering that between May 1 and 18, 2296 covid cases have surfaced in UP, 1600 of them could be migrants.
Additionally, different labs in the state conducted almost 94,000 tests between May 1 and
18. The 1600 migrant cases form about 1.7% of the samples tested. This also suggests a case positivity rate of migrant workers in UP is about 1.7%. Even an underestimated 1% cases positivity rate would mean 14,000 cases in the state.
Health officials have however pinned their hopes on the screening and monitoring activities of the migrant workers. Principal secretary Prasad said that anticipating a migrant surge of coronavirus cases in the state, the health department had rolled out a two layer screening plan.
“In the first layer, migrant workers pass through thermal scan. Those clear are sent home on a 21 day quarantine while those held back are sent to facility quarantine where they are tested again after seven days. Those who test negative are sent home for two weeks home quarantine. The positive are naturally admitted to covid hospitals,” he said.
The second layer of screening is being done by ASHA workers. “The ASHAs have been asked to keep track of the migrant worker in their village and flag the health system even at the slightest doubt or onset of symptoms,” he said.
Health officials also informed that the ASHAS were told to take stock of migrant workers at least 3-4 times in the entire period. In addition to this, the state government is using data gathered from the Aarogya Setu app. “As many as 20768 calls have been made on the basis of Aarogya Setu alerts. Among the suspects, 181 are in medical quarantine while 50 tested positive. Of the confirmed cases, 23 have been sent home after complete recovery,” he said. He said surveillance activities have been intensified in the state. “So far 66.25 lakh houses have been surveyed covering a total population of 3.30 crore,” Prasad said adding that there was no dearth of medicines and equipment needed for treatment. “We are in a comfortable position as far as the health infrastructure and medicine is concerned,” he said.