With the number of COVID-19 cases continuously increasing in Indore even after the 35 days lockdown, district health department is planning to start random sampling of the people in different areas to know the actual status of the spread of the virus.
Chief Medical and Health Officer Dr Pravin Jadia on Tuesday said they have started random sampling on trial basis and it would be done across the city soon.
“As a part of a trial, about 40-50 random samples have been taken from some areas of the city. We have been preparing a plan for random sampling which will initially be done in the affected areas and later in other areas of the city. The work will be done under the supervision of SDMs of the respected areas,” Dr Jadia said.
Moreover, the department also plans to take about 5,000 samples of the people who were found unwell in the health survey held in the city.
“About 10,000 people were found unwell during the survey of 28 lakh people in the city. We will start with the second round of the survey and cover all these people again. If they are found unwell again, their samples will be taken,” the CMHO added.
Dr Jadia believes that the sample of over 5,000 people will be taken in phases with which the number of positive patients will increase but it will finally help in eradicating the virus.
“Though the number of patients has been decreasing in the city, but there is still a long way to go,” he added.
Patients coming from new areas
CMHO Dr Jadia raised concern over patients coming from new areas and also from the hotspots.
“City’s hotspots are in complete lockdown but still cases are coming from there due to violation of lockdown. Similarly, people in other areas too are violating the lockdown in the name of getting essential goods,” he said adding “Such violations will prove harmful for the city. We are hoping to bring the city in the Orange zone before the lockdown ends and then in the Green zone.”
