Pune’s contact tracing rate lower than state average

Pune: With 12

Pune: With 12.92 contacts traced for every new positive Covid-19 case, Pune district’s average contact tracing is lower than the state average at 15.28 contacts for every new case. Despite a rising positivity rate in the district compared to the previous week, the administration has brought down its contact tracing ratio. Earlier, the state administration had asked to maintain a ratio of about 20 contacts for every new Covid case.

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From July 5 to July 11, Pune district traced 1,044,550 which was about 98.2% contacts to be traced and 22,767 or 1.8% is pending to be traced. Of the total contacts traced, 3,788,573 were high-risk contacts which includes those who came in close contact with the Covid positive patients which was about 3.55 high-risk contacts for every positive case and 10,004,941 low-risk contacts were traced which is about 9.37 low-risk contacts for every positive case.

This ratio for the state is 5.85 high-risk contacts for every positive case and 9.43 low-risk contacts for every positive case. Contact tracing is essential to break the chain of infection through timely isolation and treatment.

Dr Subhash Salunkhe, Covid advisor to the state, said, “Contact tracing is essential and administration must ensure that every contact especially the most vulnerable ones are traced on time which will lead to isolation of the patient so that the infection stops spreading and also early intervention could lead to timely treatment which also brings down to case fatality rate. At least 20 contacts must be traced and tested as per the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) guidelines for every new Covid-19 case.”