Earlier in the day, the total number of positive cases of the Covid infection reached 26,554 with 772 new cases in the past 24 hours. (Representational)

EVEN AS the number of Covid-19 cases in the state is increasing – 1,754 new cases were reported over the last 48 hours – senior state officials claimed that the infection was “controlled” in the state and mostly just the close contacts of previous patients are testing positive.

This comes after a targeted random sampling of more than 12,000 pharmacy employees and other frontline workers from all 75 districts showed a positive rate at less than one per cent. According to Principal Secretary (Health) Amit Mohan Prasad, of 12,299 random samples only 72 samples from 26 districts were positive.

“We keep doing targeted random sampling in the state to identify the kind of Covid infection in the state and who the infected people are. In that sequence we tested prison inmates, those living in old-age homes, migrant villagers, street vendors, juvenile home inmates and urban slum residents. There was another group of pharmacy workers and frontline workers who visited containment zones tested recently in all 75 districts. We found that out of 12,299 random samples only 72 samples from 26 districts were positive. With this we can say that the infection is very controlled in the state and only close contacts of previous patients are testing positive,” said Prasad.

Earlier in the day, the total number of positive cases of the Covid infection reached 26,554 with 772 new cases in the past 24 hours. Following the death of 773 persons so far, of which at least 24 deaths were reported in the past 24 hours, the state now has 7,627 active cases. With this, the recovery rate has dropped to 68.36 percent.

Among the fresh cases were Uttar Pradesh Rural Development Minister Rajendra Pratap Singh (Moti Singh) and his wife who have been admitted to the Sanjay Gandhi Post Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences. Noida Chief Medical Officer Deepak Ohri also tested positive andwas admitted to an isolation ward.

While 7,630 patients are in isolation wards, 4420 persons are in facility quarantine. On Friday the state tested 26,061 samples, taking the total number of tests past 8.34 lakh till date.

Earlier, in order to ramp up Covid testing in the state, the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has started the system of expedited approval of TrueNat / CBNAAT for COVID-19 testing in private labs and hospitals. The decision has been confirmed in a letter issued by ICMR Additional Director General Dr G S Toteja.

“However, the need to augment testing for Covid-19 in the current situation is well understood. In view of this, all private laboratories in your state who intend to initiate TrueNat / CBNAAT based testing for COVID-19 should be encouraged to immediately apply for NABL accreditation.All the labs who have applied can reach out to ICMR (at aqoarwal.n@icmr.oov.in) with a copy of their NABL application, ICMR will provide expedited approval subject to NABL approval, which can be submitted within a maximum time span of four weeks from the date of approval,” it added.

KGMU to conduct anibody test on staff for plasma

To reach out to more people who are able to donate plasma for the treatment of Covid patients in serious condition, the King George’s Medical University (KGMU) is going to conduct rapid antibody tests among its health workers to find if there are staff who were infected and recovered without being tested of the infection, so they can come forward for plasma donation.

Head of the Transfusion Medicine Department Dr Tulika Chandra said that like in case of blood donation, plasma of a specific group can be given to a patient and that makes it hard for them to find plasma in time.