Chandigarh: The Punjab Government on Tuesday said that it will begin the sero survey, mainly focusing on children in the age group 6 to 17 in front of the possible third covid wave.
The survey will begin this month.
Sero surveys or sero prevalence studies are based on antibody analysis collected through blood samples.
Minister of Minister Amarinder Singh said the results of the Salo-Surveillance Sentinel survey, aimed at assessing the prevalence of infection below 18, will be used to determine further local restrictions because the country prepares the third wave, according to a government statement.
GIS-based surveillance and prevention tools will be used with an automatic trigger mechanism for local restrictions, he said.
Dr.
KK Talwar, Head of the Punjab Expert Committee in Covid-19, said in the first and second waves, 10 percent of those infected were under 18 and while there was no concrete data to support such projections, the country was preparing to handle.
More cases of children in the third wave.
The minister’s chairman also ordered the formation of a child unit in each district and a center of excellence in the pediatrics for the country.
While announcing RS 331 Crore for the third possible third wave, besides the money that has been allocated to the Emergency Covid response, CM said the government would form a liquid medical oxygen storage tank in each district to ensure the surrounding availability of lives of saving gas.
The medical gas pipeline system will also be arranged at each district level and sub-division, he said.
He also announced the establishment of 17 additional RT-PCR laboratories.
ICU beds in government hospitals will also increase to 142, and the hub model and speak for telemedicine and telecastation will also be established, said Amarinder Singh.
CM states satisfaction for the strategy for the preparation of the third wave, indicating that testing has been maintained around 40,000 – 45,000 a day, with a special focus on high density areas and vulnerable populations.
Contact tracking is also maintained at the age of 18 per patient positive.
Talwar further told the meeting that Punjab is currently in a convenient situation even though the fear of the third wave continues, with the Indian medical research board predicts it at the end of August or starting September.
The situation might not be as bad as the second wave except the new variant coming before, he said.
However, he emphasized the need to be very careful with many build people even when cases increased in several countries.
CM also announces the expansion of the benefits of existing schemes for people with disabilities for those who suffer from defects caused by mukormycosis.
The benefits will be extended according to the nature and level of disability, he said.
The minister’s chairman directed the Ministry of Medical Education to establish post-covid care centers at the Government Medical College Hospital for follow-up from recovery mukormycosis cases.
Although the Musormycosis case declined, with only 3-4 cases reported per day last week, he directed the relevant departments to monitor the situation and keep tabs close to patients who recovered from Covid.