Fever cases under control in district, say health officials

COIMBATORE: The district continues to report around 180 to 200 fever cases daily. Most of the flu cases are being diagnosed at the fever camps, which the health department has been conducting daily since March 10. Around 100 fever camps are being conducted every day in the district.
P Aruna, deputy director of health services, said there was no need to panic. “The fever cases are not spreading at an alarming rate. For a district with a population of 40 lakh, reporting 180 to 200 cases a day isn’t a cause for concern. The health department is keeping a close watch on the fever cases every day. Around 3,000 to 5,000 people are being screened at the fever camps daily.”

She, however, said the fever cases among the children, elderly people and pregnant women were a concern. “All the schools have been instructed to inform the health department about fever cases. We have directed the village health nurses to monitor all antenatal mothers and guide them, if anyone has fever.”
Dr A Nirmala, dean, Coimbatore Medical College and Hospital, said while they were treating around 4,000 outpatients a day, only 28 of them were treated for fever on Wednesday. “This isn’t alarming at all.”
She said beds were being allocated for fever cases as a precautionary measure to meet any sudden sprout in the cases. “Those with mild symptoms can stay at home on medication after consulting a doctor. Only those who have severe symptoms need hospitalization.”
District collector Kranti Kumar Pati said there was no abnormality in the number of fever cases in Coimbatore, compared to other districts. “While there is no need to panic, people have to be cautious.”
According to Aruna, Coimbatore continues to report a higher number of Covid-19 cases. “People have to isolate themselves and wear a face mask to prevent further spread of the infection. The health department has increased testing and is monitoring the situation closely.”
Another health official said while only 10 Covid cases were reported a day on an average last week, 13 cases were reported on Tuesday. “Test positivity rate has also increased to 1.9% from 1.7%.”