Experts make strong pitch for containment of Covid-19 in Telangana

Hyderabad: The prominent personalities stressed on conducting more tests in the State during a video conference conducted by Telangana Governor Tamilisai Soundararajan here on Monday.

The Governor conducted the conference to take expert opinion on evolving a strategy to check virus spread in the State. Those attended the video conference included CCMB Director Dr Rakesh Mishra, K Sujatha Rao, former Health Secretary, Government of India, H.J. Dora, former Director General of Police, Andhra Pradesh, Dr. Hari Prasad, president, Apollo Hospitals and Dr Swaminathan, USA, nephrologist.

First vivid patient who was tested with plasma therapy Vamsimohan was also present.

The experts suggested a rationale testing policy be evolved based on the local conditions, rather than strictly adhering to broad guidelines of ICMR and epidemiological spread based testing may be undertaken. They wanted tracing needs to be done effectively.

The intellectuals said that since the lockdown is not an affordable option for a prolonged period, the only strategy that can be adopted is "test, trace and treat."

Safeguard the frontline warriors, such as doctors, paramedical staff, media persons, police, persons doing social service, sanitary workers shall be the first priority and all of them should be tested periodically, they said, adding that help and protect the periphery and tertiary level doctors, who are taking care of most of the non-Covid patients.

Prepare standard protocol for treatment of non-Covid patients and prepare different protocols of treatment of Covid-19 patients depending on the severity of illness like mild/moderate/severe, keeping the tough and long way ahead, as availability of vaccines and medicines for Covid-19 may take time were also part of valuable suggestions made in the conference.

Some participants also suggested use of medicines in Ayurveda and Siddha for the containment of coronavirus.