UP: Only 2.9% of symptomatic migrants have tested +ve

LUCKNOW: In contrast to the anticipated surge in UP’s covid tally after the arrival of migrants, data shows that an average of 2.9 of the symptomatic suspects in the migrants category have tested positive in UP.
According to state health department, 2,585 of the 80,960 suspected migrants have tested positive which is a positivity rate of 3.1. However, the average for the past 15 days comes down to 2.9%.
“The number seems to have stabilized… On May 20, about 2.4% of the symptomatic migrants tested Covid-19 positive. The proportion recorded a steady increase to reach 3% on May
25. Thereafter on all the days, the number has remained more or less the same. The average comes down to 2.9%,” said Dr Vikasendu Agarwal, state surveillance officer, UP.
Health officials admit that a majority of the active cases in the state belong to the migrant workers category but believe that the situation is under control. “On an overall scale, migrants comprise 28.6% of the total covid cases reported in the state so far,” said principal secretary health and family welfare, Amit Mohan Prasad. Government sources monitoring the Covid situation for the CM office said that in terms of active cases, more than 65% of the cases are migrant workers.
Data can help in understanding the magnanimity of the challenge before officials. Additional chief secretary home, Awanish Awasthi, said on Wednesday: “More than 26.14 lakh people had been taken safely to their home district through trains and buses. Including the migrants who came on their own , the number increases to 32 lakh.”
Keeping the numbers in mind, health sources said: “Be it the overall scale or the active cases, the number of migrant cases is less than initially anticipated.”
Health officials attributed the low prevalence to two-layer screening of migrant workers. Prasad said that anticipating a migrant surge of coronavirus cases in the state, the health department had rolled out a twolayer screening plan. “In the first layer, migrants were went through thermal scan. Those cleared 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 admitted to hospitals,” he said. The second layer of screening is being done by ASHA workers.