Warangal: Covid-19 spreads its tentacles

Warangal: Finally, the Covid-19 fear has gripped the people in the erstwhile Warangal district. May be a bit too late, but the growing number of Omicron-driven coronavirus cases made people run for cover shedding complacency. Despite the looming threat of Omicron, a majority of people appeared ignorant at the start of the New Year.

Although Warangal registered its first Omicron case on December 17, 2021, the virus started to spread its tentacles only in the New Year. Three weeks into 2022, the erstwhile Warangal district recorded more than 4,000 positive cases, an alarming trend indeed. Among all, Hanumakonda district recorded the highest number of cases with more than 1,300 cases, according to sources in the health department.

Unlike in the second wave where patients queued up to hospitals and succumbed due to lack of medical facilities especially the oxygen, this time around the hospitalisation of patients continued to be very low. But for a few inpatients, the beds in the Mahatma Gandhi Memorial Hospital (MGMH), Covid-19 designated facility, are almost empty which implies that the virus is not as harmful as it was in the past.

According to Hanumakonda DM&HO Dr K Lalitha Devi, although the virus was spreading fast, its intensity is low; however, the authorities are busy with conducting a rapid fever survey. A quarantine centre will be set up in each mandal headquarters. Currently, Vangara has a quarantine centre and efforts are on to open in Hasanparthy, Velair and Kamalapur mandals. The medical staff has been conducting 5,500 Rapid Antigen Tests and 350 RTPCR tests in each primary health centre.

The health and police departments are the worst affected with many of its employees contracting Covid-19. It may be recalled here that as many as 69 employees of the MGMH including Superintendent Dr B Srinivas Rao are down with the virus.

According to sources, nearly 180 police personnel in the Warangal Commissionerate tested positive. The police personnel have a tough time doing duty at jataras – Ainavole, Kothakonda etc.