Kolhapur positivity rate drops to 3.1% due to aggressive testing drive

PUNE While districts in western Maharashtra are still recording the highest positivity rate in the state, the silver lining is Kolhapur whose positivity rate – once the highest in the state – has dropped to match the state average of 3

PUNE While districts in western Maharashtra are still recording the highest positivity rate in the state, the silver lining is Kolhapur whose positivity rate – once the highest in the state – has dropped to match the state average of 3.1% only thanks to the administration’s strategy of aggressive testing in the district which has proved fruitful. As per public health department data, Kolhapur district recorded a 3.1% positivity rate same as the state average for the week from August 2 to August 8. Satara however continued to record the highest combined positivity rate and RTPCR positivity rate in the state at 6.7% and 6.8%, respectively.

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Dr Pradip Awate, state surveillance officer, said, “The testing rate in Kolhapur is good. It has reflected in the positivity rate of the district which has reduced to match the state average. Sangli and Satara are still recording positivity rates of above 6%.”

The Kolhapur district administration has undertaken a massive drive for door-to-door sample collection for RTPCR tests. Between August 2 and August 8, a total 121,347 samples were collected in Kolhapur district out of which 3,795 tested positive. Of the total number of tests, 109,680 were RTPCR tests through which 3,025 covid-19 cases were detected.

Rahul Rekhawar, collector, Kolhapur, said, “By mid-July this year, the positivity rate of Kolhapur was around 13 to 14%. We started this targeted testing in villages where the number of active cases was high or on the rise. It helped us identify hidden cases and has shown positive results now. When we started the drive, there were 368 villages in the district with more than five active cases. Now, this number has plummeted to less than 170. The number of active patients now is only 40% of what it was on July 15. When we planned this drive, we made sure that there was no scarcity of testing kits. After constant follow-ups, laboratories in Mumbai are giving us results in 48 hours.”

Dr Anil Mali, civil surgeon, Kolhapur district, said, “As RTPCR tests are most reliable, we are emphasising on doing the maximum number of RTPCR tests. In the Kolhapur district, almost 90% of the total tests are RTPCR tests. Currently, we are doing house-to-house RTPCR tests in the district. We are identifying villages that have more than five active cases and the drive is extended to such villages. The head of the family is tested on priority basis as they are likely to go out more often and come in contact with other people. So, it is more likely that they would test positive. This massive drive is being conducted for the past two weeks. Every day, we get up to 15,000 reports of RTPCR tests.”

“We will continue this drive in the future as well. It has helped to identify asymptomatic cases. If such cases are identified and isolated at the right time, the likely spread of infection in the community can be prevented. There is a government lab for RTPCR testing in Kolhapur where 3,500 to 4,000 people are tested on a daily basis. Other samples are sent to other government-approved labs,” Dr Mali said.