Two-pronged approach to manage Covid in Mysuru

The Mysuru district administration has adopted a two-pronged approach to contain the spread of Covid-19 and also to provide timely treatment for both Covid and non-Covid patients, since last Monday (May 3). The present Information, Education and Communication (IEC) campaign is also focusing on the new approach. If the initiative becomes a success, it can be a model, that can be replicated in other districts.

“While TTT (testing-tracking-treatment) was the mantra in the first wave, immediate triage and treatment, from Day-1 of the onset of symptoms, when patients are relatively healthy and can fight the virus much better, is the solution for the second wave. Triage is sorting out and classification of patients or casualties, to determine priority of need and proper place of treatment. Early identification and prevention of transmission is the focus during triage,” said Deputy Commissioner Rohini Sindhuri.

The DC said, "All government healthcare centres have been transformed into Covid Mitras. Besides, Panchasutra, a set of five principles, is advised for recovery and also to check the spread of Covid."

Rohini said, “The effects of Covid in the second wave are too early, compared with the first wave. So, every day, hour and minute is crucial. Waiting to get a test done and waiting for the results eats into the early five to seven days, from the onset of symptoms."

"Early intervention is the key to avoid people flocking to the hospitals with complications, requiring oxygen and ventilators. Treatment should begin once a patient shows symptoms. So we started Covid Mitra, wherein one can be diagnosed, if one has any symptom and immediate treatment can be started. No need for a RT-PCR test for availing treatment,” she added.

The DC said, "The new approach has started giving results. Over the past seven days, an average daily patient triaged and treated in each PHC Covid Mitra Centre is about 50. So the number of persons triaged everyday in a taluk is almost equal to the daily fresh cases. Thus, the delay in treatment of Covid patients is eliminated. This results in reduced need for hospital admission, medical complications and need of ICU and ventilator beds,” she said.

“While all primary health centres (PHC) in Mysuru district have been declared as Covid Mitras, three hospitals in Mysuru city, Seth Mohandas Tulsidas Maternity Hospital, District Government Ayurveda Hi-Tech Panchakarma Hospital and Central Hospital For Beedi Workers, have been transformed into Covid Mitras. More hospitals may be converted into Covid Mitras in Mysuru city, as per need,” she said.

All Covid Mitras will be supplied with necessary medication and corporate social responsibility (CSR) funds of various companies is being used for some of them.

Panchasutras or five principles are: Mask and isolate (stay at home); Take medication; Proning (sleep position for improved breathing); Steam; and Eat healthy food. Besides, the district administration has released a short jingle for the IEC campaign. The jingle is based on ‘Aadisi noodu, bilisi noodu...’ song of Dr Rajkumar starrer ‘Kasturi Nivas’ film.

“On the analysis of the calls we receive on the helpline, we realised that we cannot just keep ramping up beds, although all efforts have parallelly been made to ramp up our oxygen bed availability in government hospitals and to secure 50% beds in private hospitals. However, the solution is in tackling the first five days, from the onset of symptoms,” Rohini said.

“In the first wave, RAT and RT-PCR tests were done to ascertain the virus. RT-PCR was more reliable than RAT. In the second wave, about 25% to 30% of the cases went undetected even by RT-PCR. Most of these patients with false negatives suffered severe lung infections later and eventually succumbed to Covid. This was reported to the state and accordingly, the testing targets have been cut by half. Our earlier target was 6,000 and now it is reduced to 3,573,” she said.