Infection rate in 3 dists shot up alarmingly: Survey

kolkata: Covid infection rate in three districts of Bengal has become a matter of concern for the Health officials after the second phase of sentinel report was prepared.

The report stated that Covid infection rate in Darjeeling and Jalpaiguri in North Bengal and East Midnapore in South Bengal has increased alarmingly. The sentinel survey was conducted in 15 districts in July. After the matter came to light, the state Health department has warned the health officials of the three districts and they have been directed to maintain strict surveillance so that the infection rate can be flattened.

According to sources, the infection rate in Darjeeling has reached 7.7 per cent.

The overall infection rate in the state remains around 1.58 per cent. It may be mentioned here that the number of daily infected cases has also gone up in Darjeeling and Jalpaiguri recently. During the first wave of Covid, the infection was minimal in north Bengal but during the current wave various north Bengal districts have seen a substantial rise in daily caseload.

The preliminary report of the sentinel survey prepared last month hinted that those who have been vaccinated and follow Covid protocols including wearing masks are less susceptible to Covid.

Sources said the sentinel survey report also suggested that nearly 86 per cent of people having undertaken the survey and received Covid vaccine had never been infected with the virus.

After analyzing the data, the health experts are of the opinion that Covid prevalence is much lower among those who have been vaccinated and properly wear masks.

During the previous phase survey report revealed that around 86 per cent of people receiving the vaccine doses have already developed a protection against Covid.

Those affected with Covid even after taking double doses of vaccine were mostly attacked by the delta variant which had already created havoc not only in Bengal but across the country during the second wave.

Sentinel survey was initiated to monitor the changing field situation in the backdrop of the COVID-19 pandemic following the instruction of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. It is being performed in every district of the state to know the COVID-19 prevalence in the population over a period of time.