Andhra Pradesh steps up COVID-19 surveillance as 2 deaths and 8 active cases reported

Andhra Pradesh has stepped up COVID-19 surveillance after two deaths and eight active cases were reported in YSR Kadapa district. The Health Department has deployed rapid response teams, activated a 24/7 control room, and intensified preparedness measures in the district.A 60-year-old man from Rajampet died on June 28, while undergoing treatment at Christian Medical College (CMC), Vellore, after testing positive for COVID-19. Another man, aged 46, died after testing positive while being treated for severe lung infection and other health conditions at the Government General Hospital in Kadapa. District health officials said there are currently eight active COVID-19 cases in the district.Officials collected samples from around 40 people in affected areas, of which 18 tested negative. The remaining results are awaited. Samples have also been sent for genome sequencing to identify the virus variant. A round-the-clock command-and-control room has been set up in Kadapa, and health authorities have increased surveillance across the district.State Health Minister S Savitha directed officials to strengthen surveillance, enforce COVID-19 guidelines in affected areas, conduct public awareness programmes, and ensure hospitals are prepared with isolation facilities. Authorities have also intensified sanitation measures and instructed officials to test close contacts of infected people and isolate positive cases where necessary.Dr Rajeev Jayadevan, co-chairman of the Indian Medical Association’s COVID-19 Task Force, told The New Indian Express that the variants circulating now are descendants of the Omicron lineage and generally cause mild illness in healthy people. He said severe outcomes are more likely among elderly people and those with significant underlying health conditions.Experts advised people with fever, cough, or cold symptoms to stay home until they recover to reduce transmission. They also recommended protecting elderly and immunocompromised individuals by avoiding crowded, poorly ventilated spaces and limiting hospital visits.This article was written by a student interning with TNM.