The coronavirus count in Andhra Pradesh passed the 2-lakh mark recently. Addressing the coronavirus crisis in the state, Andhra Pradesh Principal Secretary (Health and Family Welfare) Dr. KS Jawahar Reddy attributed the increase in positive COVID-19 cases in the past two months to the movement of people with the relaxation of closure restrictions.
Speaking to the media, Dr. Reddy stated that the COVID-19 positivity level was less than 1% as of May. He noted that the positivity rate witnessed an exponential increase from June to July, from 1.26% to 12.33%. The positivity rate for the current month is 16.24% (as of August 7), he added.
Sharing current state statistics, the AP Health Secretary said that of the total of 2,04,065 confirmed positive cases of COVID-19 (as of Friday), 84,654 were active and 1,17,569 patients were discharged. He also reported that efforts are being made to reduce the mortality rate to less than one percent.
Urging people showing symptoms of COVID-19 to immediately report it to authorities, Mr. Reddy said, “Most of the patients who succumbed to the virus in the hospitals were admitted after the infection turned chronic. Many people come to us only after reporting severe shortness of breath. I ask citizens to be aware of the seriousness of the pandemic. If you have had a fever since the last four days or if your oxygen saturation (SPO2) levels fall below 95%, please contact healthcare workers immediately or dial the toll-free number for a teleconsultation. “
In crafting the state’s testing strategy, the AP Health Secretary said 23,62,270 samples were tested state-wide as of Friday. In addition to testing at government-run hospitals, Mr. Reddy reported that steps are being taken to collect samples at all Primary Care Centres (PHCs) in the state. To reach people in rural areas, mobile test centres have also been set up.
