Massive efforts to identify close contacts of Omicron positive patients in Hyderabad

The health authorities on Friday said that massive efforts were underway to identify close contacts of all the international travellers who have tested positive for Covid-19. The surveillance teams in Hyderabad and Hanumakonda, Warangal have launched a concerted effort in collaboration with other line departments to identify all the individuals who came in close contacts with Omicron positive patients and put them under home quarantine.

Director of Public Health (DPH), Dr G Srinivasa Rao said efforts have been taken up by the district surveillance teams of the health department to identify and contact the close contacts of Omicron positive patients.

“So far, we have conducted nearly 600 RT-PCR tests on close contacts who reside in the Paramount colony where nationals from Kenya had tested positive for Omicron. We are expecting the test results by Friday evening. Our surveillance teams are trying their best to ensure all these close contacts remain under home quarantine for the next one week,” he said.

He urged people to head to the nearest Primary Health Centre (PHC) for getting tested for Covid-19, in case they develop any kind of Covid symptoms.

The common symptoms include lethargy, headache, body pains, fever, cough and even common cold. “People must realise that conducting genome sequencing to ascertain Omicron variant is just meant for surveillance and it is not a diagnostic test. The diagnostic tests to identify Covid infections will always remain the rapid kits and RT-PCR. If people have symptoms, they must get tested and subsequently treatment will be started,” he said.

So far, the state health department has vaccinated 97 per cent of eligible persons across Telangana with the first dose of Covid vaccine. “There are 7.36 lakh individuals in Telangana who are yet to receive the



first dose of the vaccine. Hopefully, by this month-end, we should be able to complete 100 per cent first dose vaccination. A total of 4.26 crore first and second dose of Covid vaccines have been administered to individuals across the State,” Dr Rao said.

With more cases of Omicron being reported, the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) has intensified its measures to contain the spread of Covid-19.

The decision to step up the activities was taken after seven international passengers arriving at the city airport tested positive for the Omicron variant in last couple of days.

Following this, the civic body revived isolation centres in different parts of the city besides taking up fever surveys and conducting RT-PCR tests in Tolichowki. A total of 30 isolation centres will be set up and these free facilities will be made operational depending on the needs that arise in the days to come, an official said.

Most of these centres being revived were already in use during the second wave of Covid-19 and scores of people especially from economically weaker sections utilised them. A four-storey building in Patrika Nagar (Hitec City), HUDA community Hall in Chandanagar, Ambedkar Community Hall in RC Puram and an isolation centre in Krishnaveni Nagar, Kothapet are some of the centres where arrangements were underway.

Ambulance facilities, assistance by doctors, round-the-clock monitoring of health and meals are some of the facilities at these centres. Meanwhile, officials of GHMC and the Department of Health, Medical & Family Welfare are conducting RT-PCR tests and a door-to-door fever survey in Paramount Colony and IAS Colony located in Tolichowki. The sanitation and spraying of sodium hypochlorite have also been scaled up in these areas.