Pune: PMC officials discovered around 3,000 senior citizens infected by COVID in a door-to-door survey

Mrunal Jadhav

Pune, August 31, 2020: The health workers of Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) have discovered more than 3,000 COVID positive patients after door-to-door testing.

This phase of the community survey was launched specifically for high-risk citizens. Over 9,000 people were asked to take the test, and amongst them 33 percent have positive. People called for the survey by Medical workers were senior citizens, pregnant women and people with severe illnesses. Civic officials said they had reached around 2 lakh citizens from different parts of the city.

The senior PMC officials said that they check the oxygen levels, blood pressure and respiratory issues during the survey. And those with low blood pressure and high blood pressure are asked to take the COVID-19 test. These surveys have been helping the civic officials to quickly track down people at high risk to get COVID infection.

The officials said that if the infection is detected earlier, it is easier to treat the patients and the chance of death also reduces. A senior citizen who has severe health issues like heart ailments, respiratory problems, diabetes, high blood pressure, etc have higher chances for mortality. Half of the patients who have died due to COVID are the senior citizens in the Pune Metropolitan Region.

According to the Infection Fatality Rate (IFR) survey, the death rate of senior citizens is high in COVID. The chances of fatality for a 60-year-old due to COVID are higher than those while driving a car.