UP: Drive to collect samples of corona patients’ contacts

PRAYAGRAJ: In a bid to speed up the testing process for Covid-19, health department officials launched a drive to step up collection of samples in Prayagraj, Kaushambi, Fatehpur and Pratapgarh districts.
The exercise was aimed at identifying Covid-19 patients in hotspots and containment zones in the four districts. Officials laid emphasis on collect samples of primary and secondary contacts of patients.
Additional director (Health) Dr Sudhakar Pandey said, "A door-to-door survey was conducted by health department from July 5 -15. During the drives, the teams collected samples of residents who experienced ‘Influenza Like Illness’ (ILI) as well as those having cold, cough or fever.”"
“We have been collecting samples of primary and secondary contacts of those who tested positive for Covid-19. The exercise would help the department contain the spread of the disease and identify new patients," said Pandey.
In the recent past, more patients have been diagnosed in Prayagraj’s urban pockets as compared to rural areas. On Wednesday, 46 of 52 new Covid-19 cases were from urban localities of the district.
In Prayagraj district alone, areas like Malviya Nagar, Rani Mandi -Chowk, Daraganj, Kareli, SRN campus Preetam Nagar , Lukerganj, Khuldabad, have come under the scanner of health department where more novel coronavirus cases were detected compared to other areas of the district.
The city has a total of 139 containments zones alone whereas the Prayagraj district has a total of 322 containment zones including Handia (37), Soroan (21), Phulpur (27), Koraon (7), Meja (21), Karchana (18) and Bara (11).
Meanwhile, three members of a family staying on the premises of Attarsuiya police station were among the 32 persons who tested positive for Covid-19 in Praygaraj on Thursday, taking the district tally to 752.
Four Covid-19 patients also died on Thursday. Till now, 29 patients have succumbed to the disease till now in the city.
A senior health department official said, “32 new Covid-19 positive cases surfaced in the city on Thursday. The three members of a family who were diagnosed with the disease were aged 50 , 25 and 15 years and live on the premises of Attarsuiya police station. Two members of another family living on Matiyara Road also tested positive for novel coronavirus.”
He added that the patients were between the ages of 22 and 67 years. The new cases were reported from Mutthiganj, Rani Mandi, Allahapur, Kydganj, Rajruppur, Madhwapur and Children Hospital campus.