What ails TN's covid battle: Over 150 untraceable per day after giving virus samples in Chennai

According to Corporation data, of the 9,940 samples received at the fever clinics run by the civic body, private and government labs on Tuesday, 211 people could not be tracked due to incorrect and incomplete address and contact details. Of the 211, 91 had given samples at private hospitals and 93 people gave samples at fever clinics.

On Monday too, the Corporation could not trace 148 people. The civic body is tracing those who give samples to send them under mandatory home quarantine. They would be released from quarantine id samples turn negative, or else, treatment would begin. “It is important to trace all people giving samples as some of them may test positive. We file police complaints to trace those whose samples turn positive. More than 270 who have been infected are missing and we are trying to locate them,” an official said. “Private labs administration should collect complete contact details of the patients coming for testing along with the details of their family members and their extended contacts in the last 15 days,” G Prakash, Chennai Corporation Commissioner, said, while, instructing representatives of private labs during a meeting on Wednesday.

He also said that the private labs should gather details of health conditions of those giving samples, especially to check if they have any co-morbidities and this must be shared with the civic body.