Health officials to monitor fever cases in all hospitals

MADURAI: Although Covid-19 cases continue to rise as more than 900 fresh Covid-19 cases was reported in the district on Friday, health department officials said that Covid-19 patients requiring hospitalisation remains low and that efforts are on to trace and treat patients. Health officials are also planning to closely monitor all fever and influeza-like illness (ILI) cases apart from Covid-19 cases in the district.

The spread of Covid-19 cases in the district continues to be sporadic, but at the same time health officials are also trying to monitor all fever cases to better survey the spread and check for any alarming rise. More than 200 fever camps are being organized per day across the district.

“We are also planning to monitor all fever outpatient cases in all government and private hospitals, including small clinics. There are many getting fever medication prescriptions and treating themselves. So, we want to keep a watch and record the cases, including those which may not be Covid-19 cases,” said the health official. Health officials also urged for all those with fever and Covid-19 symptoms to get tested and avoid self-medication, especially with paracetamol and tablets prescribed for common cold.

Out of the 4,795 active cases in the district on Saturday, more than 3,000 cases are in the city limits. With Pongal celebrations and increased movement of public, Covid-19 cases are continuing to witness a rise. “With no extreme measures like lockdown and free movement of people, Covid-19 cases are rising across the state, including in the district and it is expected to continue for a while. Our major focus is on reducing hospitalisations and improving vaccination coverage so that there can be better protection. We urge the public to not get delayed in getting vaccinated,” said a health official. Currently, only 14% of beds in hospitals in Madurai district are occupied by Covid-19 patients, including 78 patients in ICU. There has been 12 Covid-19 deaths in January while 8,879 new cases were recorded.