Amid a steady surge in Covid-19 cases, Andhra Pradesh’s special chief secretary for health, Krishna Babu, convened a crucial meeting on Monday to evaluate the current readiness of the state’s healthcare system. The review covered the availability of testing kits, the operational capacity of labs, and the preparedness of oxygen generation units across districts.
Post-meeting updates revealed that existing healthcare infrastructure can scale up testing if needed. The older Government General Hospitals (GGHs) have the capacity to perform up to 1,000 Covid tests daily, while the recently established GGHs are equipped to handle at least 50 tests each day.
In a concerning development, fresh samples sent from Visakhapatnam have been confirmed positive for the Omicron BA.2 sub-variant. This has been validated by the National Institute of Virology (NIV) in Pune and reconfirmed by King George Hospital (KGH), Visakhapatnam.
Despite the detection of the sub-variant, health experts have urged the public to remain calm. Medical professionals strongly recommend following standard preventive measures such as mask usage, proper hand hygiene, and maintaining physical distance in crowded settings.
Officials also acknowledged that the actual number of infections could be higher, as many people with mild or no symptoms are not getting tested.
The health department has appealed to anyone experiencing cold, cough, or flu-like signs to consult a doctor, undergo testing, and seek timely treatment.
As of Tuesday, India’s active Covid-19 tally is at 4,026, with five deaths reported in the last 24 hours.