Maharashtra govt issues SOP for Covid management
The Maharashtra government on Monday issued revised guidelines for Covid-19 management across the state. All healthcare facilities have been directed to prepare and test 5% of influenza-like illness (ILI) and severe acute respiratory infection (SARI) patients.
The order has been issued by the health department to all municipal corporations, zilla parishads and district administration.
As per officials, till May 28, there were 1,621 active Covid-19 cases in the country. More than 90% of these cases are from six states – Kerala, Maharashtra, Delhi, Gujarat, Tamil Nadu, and Karnataka. Maharashtra currently has around 506 active cases. Although most of these cases are mild, as a precaution, the central government has issued guidelines for all states and Union territories, read the letter.
'The currently circulating Omicron variants include JN.1, XFG, and LF 7.9. These variants cause mild symptoms like fever, cough, and sore throat, and are self-limiting,' said Dr Nipun Vinayak, health secretary.
According to officials, a review of hospital preparedness should be conducted at district, sub-district level, medical colleges, educational, tertiary service institutions, municipal/council hospitals, and all inpatient healthcare facilities. Emphasis should be given on the availability of testing, essential medicines, PPEs, isolation beds, medical oxygen, ICU and ventilator beds. Besides, mock drills should be conducted to ensure the functionality of PSA plants and overall oxygen preparedness. A report on the action taken should be submitted immediately to the state government.
As per the directions, district surveillance units should closely monitor the trend of SARI/ILI cases in their areas and track the proportion of SARI among ILI/SARI cases. IEC activities should be conducted to encourage the community to follow hygienic behaviour such as hand hygiene, respiratory hygiene, proper cough etiquette (covering mouth and nose while coughing/sneezing), and avoiding spitting in public places. Besides, elderly people, those with comorbidities, and people with weak immunity should avoid crowded or poorly ventilated places, or wear face masks in such places.
People with symptoms of acute respiratory illness should self-monitor their health and, if they experience symptoms like difficulty in breathing or chest pain, they should immediately contact nearby health facilities, said the officials.
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