The senior health ministry official said that India has two strategies in place to micro-manage outbreaks geographically — outbreak management strategy for hotspots and cluster containment strategy for non-hotspots. Let’s take a look at these strategies:
New Delhi, April 15:
For a country of over 1.3 billion people, India has reported a proportionally small number of cases of the deadly novel coronavirus, which has infected more than two million people across the globe. India, which houses 16 per cent of the global population, has reported 11,439 cases, which is just around 0.57 per cent of the total number of cases across the world.
The Union Health Ministry credits this to India’s pre-emptive approach of curbing the spread of the virus. The ministry has claimed that early screening for novel coronavirus cases among international passengers and a strict lockdown has helped India stay away from community outbreak.
Ministry of Health Joint Secretary Lav Agrawal on Wednesday announced that districts across India have been categorised into three sections — hotspots, non-hotspots and green zones.
Hotspots are districts where the absolute number of Covid-19 cases reported is high or where the rate of growth of positive cases is high. Whereas, non-hotspots are areas that have reported cases of Covid-19 in limited numbers.
Green zone districts are where no case of novel coronavirus has been reported.
The senior health ministry official said that India has two strategies in place to micro-manage outbreaks geographically — outbreak management strategy for hotspots and cluster containment strategy for non-hotspots.
“Areas which have reported less than 15 cases are being handled with the cluster containment strategy, whereas areas that have reported more than 15 cases or multiple clusters there we are working under the outbreak management strategy [sic],” Lav Aggarwal told media.
Let’s take a look at these strategies:
Cluster containment strategy
The government has implemented the cluster containment strategy to arrest the spread of Covid-19 virus within the area after a case is reported. Under this strategy, an area where even a single case of Covid-19 has been reported is sealed. While the patient is taken to a dedicated Covid-19 facility, the area is put under scanning and vigilance.
Steps implemented under cluster containment strategy:
Extensive contact tracing and active search for cases in the containment zone
Testing all suspect cases and high-risk contacts
Isolating all suspect/confirmed cases and providing medical care
Quarantining contacts
Implementing social distancing measures
Intensive risk communication
Outbreak management strategy
Health Ministry Joint Secretary Lav Aggarwal mentioned that areas that have reported few cases are being contained under the cluster management strategy, but areas that have reported a high number of cases or multiple clusters are being handled under the outbreak management strategy.
According to a health ministry document — Containment Plan for Large Outbreaks — the government’s plan to handle large outbreak includes:
Defining the area of operation of demarcation of the hotspot
Active surveillance for cases and contacts in the hotspot
Expanding laboratory capacity for testing all suspect cases, high risk contacts and SARI (severe acute respiratory infection) cases
Operationalise surge capacities created for isolation (Covid-19 hospitals/Covid-19 dedicated blocks) to hospitalise and manage all suspected/confirmed cases
Implementation of social distancing measures with strict perimeter control
Provide chemoprophylaxis with hydroxychloroquine to all asymptomatic healthcare workers and asymptomatic household contacts of laboratory-confirmed cases
Further intensification of risk communication through audio, social and visual media
Meanwhile, green zones — areas with no Covid-19 cases — are also under the nationwide lockdown which entails restricted movement and compulsory social distancing measures. These areas may get certain conditional relaxations after April 20.
Courtesy: India Today
