Odisha's Ganjam to launch survey to check for coronavirus-like symptoms

The district administration in Odisha's Ganjam on Wednesday said it will launch a door-to-door survey to look for coronavirus-like symptoms in about 40 lakh people, as part of measures to contain the pandemic. The "health verification" of all the families will start from Thursday, said District Collector Vijay Amruta Kulange. Anganwadi workers and primary school teachers, among others, will ask questions related to travel history, general health status and symptoms of influenza-like illness, Kulange said.

Since the questionnaire is simple, there is no need to impart training to the survey team, he said. "We will guide them over phone and they will launch the survey." The district administration will use the survey report to zoom in on people requiring COVID-19 tests. Not a single person has so far tested positive for COVID-19 in Ganjam, officials said. A total of 267 samples were tested, out of which 105 came out negative. The authorities are awaiting the reports of the remaining samples, said Chief District Medical Officer (CDMO) Uma Shankar Mishra.