Call for brand new technique as TPR-based restrictions fail to arrest Covid unfold
3 min read
Express News Service
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The demand for a change within the take a look at positivity rate-based lockdown technique is getting louder. For, it has didn’t include the Covid unfold even after a month of its implementation.
While the federal government acknowledges {that a} sustained lockdown would cripple lives and the financial system, it appears to be in no temper to hearken to its personal consultants on Covid administration. After a current rebuke from the Supreme Court over lifting lockdown curbs earlier than Bakrid, the state has determined to proceed with the lockdown technique based mostly on TPR in native our bodies and the overall lockdown on weekends.
Both these methods are thought-about unscientific and don’t serve the meant function. As a outcome, the variety of native our bodies below triple lockdown (class D with a TPR above 15%) has elevated from 24 to 271 in a month. The seven-day shifting common, which supplies an correct thought of modifications over a interval, of reported constructive circumstances have elevated by 22% throughout the section.
A classification based mostly on TPR is fraught with issues because the numbers may be simply manipulated with the type of samples taken. The testing technique has additionally been questioned as a result of most assessments are carried out on symptomatic individuals and their main contacts, because the peak of the second wave in May. Health consultants have additionally mentioned that the variety of households present process voluntary testing has come down and phone tracing has slackened.
“All these factors could increase the spread even if such cases are not reflected in the TPR calculation. It has now become an open secret that some of the ward members demand more testing on asymptomatic patients in the hope of reducing the TPR of the ward,” mentioned a health care provider.
An immunologist and public well being knowledgeable, Dr Padmanabha Shenoy mentioned the circumstances have elevated as a result of the management measures have been ineffective.“The strategy has to be changed. Unfortunately, there is not even a discussion on that,” he mentioned.
Health consultants have mooted different parameters like vaccination standing and infections in an space to be factored in for a brand new method on easing lockdown. While the state struggles to flatten the curve, the delay turns into particularly painful for the unorganised sections in society.
However, even knowledgeable members on the Covid administration committee are complaining that the federal government has not taken their recommendation for change critically. “We had given other alternatives long back to classify locations as the TPR-based classification was not very helpful. But nothing much has changed on the ground,” mentioned a member.
Another member of the Covid administration committee, and an assistant professor on the Department of Community Medicine, Government Medical College Hospital, Thiruvananthapuram, Dr Anish T S took to social media together with his thought of classification.
“Any relaxation in restriction is likely to increase the number of patients. But it is important to know how the increase will increase severity and deaths. Those who have recovered from infection and those vaccinated may get infected again. But the chances of complications are less. Hence, the focus should be on the number of people with severe cases in hospitals and use of ICU and ventilators instead of the total number of infections. If things go out of hand, there shall be no hesitancy in containment lockdown,” he wrote on his private web page.
The state chapter of the Indian Medical Association, which has at all times vouched for robust containment measures, have just lately come out towards the unscientific lockdown insurance policies of the federal government. It mentioned {that a} sustainable and scientific method was the necessity of the hour because the pandemic goes to remain in our lives for a few years to return.
Unlock technique
Health consultants need the federal government to contemplate different strategies to categorise areas for function of easing lockdown restrictions. The TPR-based technique has didn’t examine the unfold as extra native our bodies have come below triple lockdown in a month.
