‘Coimbatore witnessing third wave of Covid-19’

COIMBATORE: Former Director of Public Health (DPH) K Kolandasamy on Friday said that the Coimbatore district is currently witnessing a third wave of the Covid-19 pandemic. Referring to various interventions introduced in the district to contain the virus spread, the former health official said the number of fresh cases would come down by mid November. 

He was speaking to TNIE on the sidelines of an orientation session organised for healthcare professionals here on Friday. He said that any intervention to mitigate the effect of Covid-19 has to consider three risk factors in the district. “First is the population density. Next, the number of hospitals located in the district, and, then the multi-directional travel through which people from other states come here,” he said.

The Covid curve is falling in the district, he said, and appealed to the residents to be extra cautious. On the RT-PCR tests, Kolandasamy said, “A person must not get tested himself again after he/she is tested positive as the results may vary according to the severity.

However, a retest can be done after some days after one is tested negative.” He also suggested that public undergo an X-ray, CT scan, or biochemical tests as an alternative. “Only 7.2 per cent of 400 people having antibodies in Coimbatore, as per ICMR’s second serosurvey. If the value is more than 40 to 60 per cent, only then it shows the virus spread is contained,” he said.

Kolandasamy advised the health department to shut down a primary health centre, staff of which is tested positive, just for a day to carry out disinfection work, instead of shutting them down for days. “The health staff, who are primary contacts of an infected person, can be quarantined. Such PHCs, if falling short of hands, must be taken over temporarily by other PHC staffs,” he suggested.