From Our Bureau
18th September 2020
Telangana witnessed a surge with 2,123 COVID-19 fresh cases reported on Friday, taking the State’s total to 1,69,169 confirmed cases. The death toll rose to 1,025, with 9 fresh fatalities reported in the last 24 hours. In all, 1,37,508 patients recovered so far, including 2,151 in the last 24 hours. The case fatality rate was 0.61 percent in Telangana as against the national average of 1.61 percent.
As on today, 30,636 active confirmed cases are in hospitals or in home quarantine. Of these, 24,070 individuals in home/institutional isolation include asymptomatic cases, as per the latest official update. The number of recovered patients accounted for 81.28 percent of the total positive cases in the State. Active cases constituted 18.11 percent of the total positive cases. Fatalities accounted for 0.61 percent of the total positive cases.
As many as 1,18,418 patients (70 percent) were asymptomatic and 50,751 patients (30 percent of positive cases) were symptomatic.
According to the Director of Public Health and Family Welfare, as many as 24,34,409 samples were tested in the State cumulatively, including 54,459 in the last 24 hours. Cumulative sample positivity rate was 6.91 percent. The Tests Per Million (TPM) population has seen a sharp increase to 65,570.
The total number of testing laboratories for RT-PCR/ CBNAAT/ TRUENAT tests is 55, including 17 government labs and 38 private labs. Besides, there are 1,076 rapid antigen testing centres run by the State Government.
The COVID positive cases were reported from all the 33 districts on Friday.
As on today, 61 Government hospitals have established a capacity of 20,396 COVID beds, of which 12,284 are isolations beds, 5,861 are oxygen beds and 2,251 are ICU beds. A total of 1,117 ventilators are available in these hospitals. As on date, the bed occupancy is 12.20 percent and 87.80 percent of the available beds are vacant. Only 2,488 beds were occupied and 17,908 beds were vacant.
The Gandhi Hospital, Secunderabad, is identified as the “Centre of Excellence for COVID Care,” where serious cases are admitted. The other major hospitals in Hyderabad where suspects and moderately symptomatic cases are admitted are District Hospital King Koti, Government Chest Hospital and Sir Ronald Ross Institute of Tropical Medicine (Fever Hospital).
The asymptomatic and mildly symptomatic patients requesting for institutional quarantine are admitted in Nature Cure Hospital, Govt. Nizamia Hospital, Govt. Ayurveda Hospital and Govt. Homeopathy Hospital.
Patients with moderate to severe symptoms, with COVID positive report are advised to go to Gandhi Hospital where the Government has made elaborate arrangements for treatment and management. Patients with symptoms but not yet confirmed and requiring COVID-19 testing should go to District Hospital, King Koti, Fever Hospital and Chest Hospital.
The Government has made elaborate arrangements for treating COVID-19 patients. Sufficient beds are available in Government hospitals. Based on the clinical requirements, beds are provided and treatment is given free of cost in Government hospitals. Sufficient quantities of personal protection equipment (PPE) and medicines are available in these hospitals.
The lockdown has been relaxed since the 16th May 2020. It is being observed that there is a lot of mobility and movement of people from all walks of life and of all age groups. People are travelling across the state and some of them are not following the basic preventive measures like wearing a mask, maintaining safe physical distancing and avoiding overcrowding. There has been a surge in the cases since relaxation of lockdown. (eom)
