Primary contacts of patients monitored daily via phone by ASHA workers in the area
Local testing camps held in areas that have seen a surge in COVID-19 cases have been helping with quick detection of the disease among symptomatic people.
In areas such as West Kochi, where cases had been persistently climbing since mid-July, testing camps had been set up under each of the four urban primary health centres, said a health worker from Fort Kochi.
Since testing could not be done at the health centre itself in order to protect other patients from a risk of infection, separate buildings have been identified with the help of the local ward councillor to conduct camps twice a week, she said. Each camp functions with two doctors, two staff nurses and two ASHA workers. “With the spread of the infection now, out of about 50 tests done in a day, at least ten will return positive results,”…