COVID: Pandemic situation unlocking as figures of tests reduced from four digits to three

Aurangabad, Nov 2:

The pandemic situation is unlocking in phases since July. The Aurangabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) health officials heave a sigh of relief but not relaxed as from more than 5,000 tests (during the critical situation in the city), the figure reduced to more than 500 tests (antigens and RT-PCR tests), nowadays.

While analysing last one week''s data, from October 26 (Monday) to November 1 (Sunday), it was found that the AMC has a record of conducting 5,497 tests in one week. It includes 2,850 antigens tests and 2,647 RT-PCR tests.

The details of the total number of tests (including antigens tests and RT-PCR tests) conducted during last one week is as follows: October 26 - 730 including AT (486) RT-PCR (244), October 27 - 878 including AT (451) RT-PCR (427), October 28 - 964 including AT (571) RT-PCR (393), October 29 - 980 including AT (374) RT-PCR (606), October 30 - 797 including AT (420) RT-PCR (377), October 31 - 547 including AT (253) RT-PCR (294) and November 1 - 601 including AT (295) RT-PCR (306).

The AMC''s medical officer of health (MoH) Dr Neeta Padalkar said, " The civic administration had stopped the screening of visitors entering the city limits, a couple of months back. Presently, the RT-PCR tests are conducted on Covid-19 suspects at our five Covid Care Centres (CCC), which are functioning 24x7. Besides, 11 mobile teams used to visit different parts of the city and conduct antigens and RT-PCR tests daily. The pandemic situation is unlocking in phases. The number of patients is on the declining side; however, I maintain the citizens should strictly abide by the SMS formula - Sanitisation, Mask and Social Distancing - while moving in the public places."

The pandemic situation groped the city due to Covid-19 since March. The civic administration under the guidance of the municipal commissioner and administrator Astik Kumar Pandey geared up to tackle the situation. The administration decided upon executing Tracing, Testing and Treatment (3T formula) to bring the emergency situation under control and ensure the safety of citizens in large numbers. Later on, the AMC adopted modern technology in the form of antigens tests. Earlier, the AMC would collect the patient''s swab and send it for testing and the report used to come in 1-2days. The antigens test helps to get the report (on-the-spot) in half an hour. The health teams continue to conduct RT-PCR tests upon persons who reported negative in antigens test but have symptoms of the Covid-19.

Explains the medical officer positioned in War Room, Dr Megha

Jogdand, " A total of 2.28 lakh antigens tests and less than 74,000

RT-PCR tests (total 3.02 lakh tests) were conducted through various health wings since March till November (till Sunday). Of the tests, a total of 25,784 Covid-19 patients were detected, and after treatment, 24,344 got discharged, and 774 lost their lives. The figures include RT-PCR tests conducted by Government Medical College and Hospital (GMCH), District Civil Hospital (DCH) and private laboratories (also antigens test)."