E-Paper
Uttar Pradesh: Health dept keeping Covid watch on homebound migrants ahead of Diwali
These efforts are meant to keep the Covid disease from starting to spread again during the festive season in Uttar Pradesh
Learning a lesson from the festival of Holi when homebound migrant workers had caused a spike in Covid-19 cases earlier this year, the health authorities in Uttar Pradesh are taking no chances this Diwali.
For instance, the district health department has deputed 22 teams at all prominent bus stations and railway stations of Prayagraj district for carrying out rapid antigen tests of all migrants returning for the Diwali festival.
The department has also decided to carry out RT-PCR (reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction) tests of all samples collected from these home-bound migrant workers in the run-up to Diwali even if the rapid antigen tests are negative, officials said. RT-PCR is considered the gold standard of Covid tests by experts.
Prayagraj district Covid-19 nodal officer Dr AK Tiwari said that special precautions were being taken for Diwali when thousands of migrant workers of UP return home for the festival from various states, including Maharashtra, Delhi, Haryana and Madhya Pradesh among others.
“A total of 22 teams have been deployed at bus stands and railway stations. Every migrant is being screened. Even if the antigen test report is negative, the samples are being sent for RT-PCR tests with an aim not to miss any positive Covid-19 positive individual who could spread the pandemic in the district. Any person who is found positive will be isolated immediately,” he said.
The nodal officer said even if the report of an antigen test from a private hospital returns negative, the samples would be sent for RT-PCR tests as a sure check.
These efforts are meant to keep the pandemic from starting to spread again during the festive season. At present, Prayagraj has three active Covid-19 cases with one new case being found in the Tagore Town locality on Monday. The latest case was the first to be found after a gap of nine days.
“Currently, 6000 RT-PCR tests are being done daily in the MLN Medical College. Apart from Prayagraj, samples from Pratapgarh, Mirzapur and Kaushambi are also being tested here,” he explained.
Dr Sujit Verma, senior physician at SRN Hospital in Prayagraj, warned that the threat of Covid-19 was not over yet.
“It is very important to follow the corona prevention guidelines during the festive season. Do not forget to maintain social distancing and wear facemasks. Frequently washing hands with soap still remains one of the most effective ways to protect oneself from the Covid-19 virus,” he said.
Paediatrician Dr Yugantar Pandey said special care should be taken to protect children during Diwali as adults may have got the Covid-19 vaccination, but the kids remain vulnerable.
“Wearing a facemask and avoiding overcrowded places is the best way to protect kids from the virus,” he said.
In Varanasi, nigrani samitis (surveillance committees) will keep an eye on people returning to the villages from cities and inform the health department about the people with symptoms of Covid-19. The health department teams will reach the villages and provide medicines to the symptomatic people and antigen tests will be done, said chief medical officer Dr Rahul Singh.
The department has not deployed any medical team for doing antigen tests at any of the railway stations here (Varanasi), he said.
Each nigrani samiti comprises locals and works in coordination with the panchayati raj department which constituted them to keep a watch on villages to ensure 100% sanitation.
