Chennai: 68 Covid-19 cases in 2,297 fever patients

CHENNAI: Amidst the latest spike in Covid-19 cases, the Greater Chennai Corporation has identified nearly 2297 influenza like illness cases reported from private hospitals. Among them, 68 persons have tested positive for Covid-19.
The civic body had a few days ago informed all private hospitals to notify them about fever patients who come for check-up. Based on the details provided, civic body staff visited the houses of residents for swab samples.
During the third wave, nearly one-third of the fever cases turned out to be Covid-19 positive. City corporation commissioner Gagandeep Singh Bedi said, at present, most of the cases are having mild to moderate symptoms.
City health officer Dr M Jagadeesan said people with sore throat, cough, tastelessness and fever should get tested for Covid-19. "Testing will help in early isolation and treatment," he said.
"Often, ILI cases are treated as viral fever and patients are sent back with some treatment. Notification from private hospitals help us in tracking and testing them. If positive, they will be isolated. It helps us in identifying hidden cases. Isolating them will reduce the transmission," Bedi said.
The civic body is currently testing contacts, commercial places, fever cases and suspected cases. "Now we have given two vehicles to zonal officials in Anna Nagar, Teynampet, Kodambakkam and Adyar for collecting field samples. This is in addition to the existing system of sample collection," he added.
In case of fever cases identified during the field visit, they will be referred to nearest UPHC or if more numbers are found, a sample collection team will be sent for collection.
The corporation will also be distributing medicine kits and yellow bags for separate garbage collection, to everyone under home-isolation. Each zone currently has 500 kits. NULM workers have been deputed to check oxygen levels of home-isolated patients and to arrange 108 ambulances if symptoms are severe.