Context: With the coronavirus pandemic acquiring alarming proportions, governments over the world are trying different ways of dealing with the issue.

• Government of Punjab, meanwhile, has come out with a novel initiative in the shape of a mobile app.
• The mobile app is called Ghar ghar nigrani.
• It’s a first of its kind initiative.
• Is aimed at checking community spread of coronavirus.
• It is being touted as a tool for early detection and testing of coronavirus.
• It will involve house to house surveillance to contain the spread of COVID-19

 About :

• It has been developed by Health Department .
• Recently, the app was field tested in Patiala and Mansa.
• In the field test, about 20,628 persons were surveyed.
• Among the surveyed persons, 9045 found asymptomatic.
• 1583 were found having symptoms of cough, fever, sore throat, breathlessness etc.

• The testing will not be a one-time activity.
• Rather, it will be an ongoing process till the disease is contained.
• Entire rural and urban population of Punjab above 30 years of age shall be surveyed.
• It will also cover persons below the age of 30 having co-morbidities, influenza-like illness or acute respiratory illness.

  What will be collected

• Full medical details
• Details about co-morbidities, if any

• The groundwork will be done by ASHA workers and community volunteers.
• Will be paid incentive @ Rs. 4 for every person surveyed.

Community spread:

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), community transmission is evidenced by the inability to relate confirmed cases through chains of transmission for a large number of cases.

In other words, community transmission or spread is said to be taking place when the source of the contagion is not known, i.e. when one is unable to trace an infection back to a carrier who has travelled in an affected area, or through contact with a person who has the disease.

A state of community spread implies that the virus is now circulating in the community, and can infect people with no history — either of travel to or contact with affected people and areas. At this stage, it is theoretically possible for everyone to catch the infection.