Checking COVID-19: Telangana govt to undertake door-to-door survey for fever

The Telangana government would undertake a door-to-door fever survey in the State from Friday as part of measures to check the spread of COVID-19.

The survey would help in controlling the spread by identifying those suffering from fever and others, State Health Minister T Harish Rao told reporters here on Thursday.

Some people are asymptomatic despite testing positive for the infection, while some others are not getting themselves tested in spite of having symptoms like fever, he said.

The survey would help address such issues.

He said a home-isolation kit, comprising medicines and others, would be provided to those with symptoms.

Observing that a similar survey and the provision of the same kits helped save many lives during the second wave of COVID-19, he said this has received appreciation from the NITI Ayog.

The State government is geared up to deal with the third wave as Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao had ordered procuring two crore testing kits and one crore home-isolation kits, he said.

The Minister said 27,000 hospital beds have been provided with oxygen supply. Oxygen generation plants have been established in 76 hospitals and the generation capacity has increased to 340 MTs from about 130 MTs during the second wave. The capacity would be enhanced to 500 MTs, he said.

While 56,000 COVID beds are available in the State, the bed occupancy rate is below one per cent at present.

The State government has achieved 102.7 per cent coverage in administering first dose of COVID-19 vaccination and 77 per cent coverage in second dose, said Harish Rao, a nephew of the Chief Minister.

The Minister recalled that the State government has written to the Centre urging that the time-frame for administering booster dose be reduced from nine months. The State has also sought providing booster dose to all and not just senior citizens, he said.

Telangana on Wednesday reported 3,557 new infections, pushing the tally to 7,18,196.