HYDERABAD: Contrary to the popular perception that the novel Coronavirus is infecting people only in some parts of Hyderabad, the virus is now fast spreading across the city.
Earlier, the government used to designate specific areas as ‘hotspots’, but with the lockdown norms getting relaxed and movement of people increasing, those living in all areas under Greater Hyderabad limits are now equally vulnerable to the virus.
When asked whether only certain areas were reporting high number of COVID-19 cases, Director of Public Health and Family Welfare Dr G Srinivas Rao said that the cases were being referred from various parts of the city and are not concentrated in a few pockets.
He stressed that as the lockdown has been relaxed, it is essential that people undertake every measure possible to avoid contracting the disease, not just when they are outside the home but also when they return home.
A large percentage of senior citizens who tested positive for COVID-19 have not left their homes, but they have family members who would be going out regularly.
Dr Rao said that the government would be intensifying all kinds of health surveillance to keep a tab on the rising numbers, including the Influenza-Like Illness (ILI), Severe Acute Respiratory Infection (SARI) and Mortality surveillance.
It must be mentioned here that in the last three days, between May 29 and 31, as the State has been observing a spike in COVID-19 numbers, more than 74 per cent of the cases have been reported from the GHMC limits. In terms of absolute numbers, of the 328 cases from the State testing positive in these three days, 245 were from the GHMC limits.
As people have started moving from one part of the city to another, it has facilitated the movement of the virus.
According to the health department, most COVID-19 cases detected till now have been asymptomatic, and there is a high possibility that asymptomatic virus carriers might be moving around the city without knowing that they have been infected.