Kollam has hit the lowest test positivity rate of 6.66 and as per a study conducted by the Disease Surveillance Unit, the district has recorded 91.3% recovery rate surpassing the State average.
The mortality rate in the district is 0.38 and most of the COVID-19 victims are persons above the age of 80. “Patients with co-morbidities like diabetes and hypertension also record a high fatality rate and the department has decided to strengthen the functioning of lifestyle clinics in the districts,” said District Medical Officer R. Sreelatha. The district had collected 6,204 samples while the target was 6,100.
In the sample test, 358 persons tested positive and 5,394 swabs tested negative.
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“A total of 421 repeat samples were also tested and 2,314 is the tests per million. Though the Department had planned to complete 60% of COVID-19 tests by December, we could complete over 70%,” she said.
90% asymptomatic
Pointing out that around 90% of COVID-19 cases are asymptomatic and they start developing mild symptoms only after testing positive, she said: “compared to symptomatic patients their health condition worsens at an increased rate and asymptomatic patients should not take the infection lightly.”
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Contact cases
Patients who come in the age group of 31 to 45 have caused maximum number of contact cases while other superspreaders come in the 46-59 and 19-30 age groups. Currently, the department is conducting intensive testing among vulnerable categories to prevent further spread of the virus.
Special check-ups will be conducted for taxi and autorickshaw drivers, persons who work in places with no proper air circulation, business operators and offices using air conditioning, salespersons in jewellers, supermarkets, textile shops and shopping malls, headload workers, cashew labourers and officials from railway and KSRTC.