Family compulsions make women hide COVID symptoms and that’s the reason for hesitancy, says survey

Mysore/Mysuru: Data from the Health Department shows that the number of women getting infected by COVID-19 has gone up in the second wave though the number was low during the first wave.

Also, during the door-to-door survey in Mysuru’s urban and rural areas conducted by the District Administration, it was found that there is hesitancy among women to disclose symptoms and also reach out for treatment. While the urban areas’ survey was conducted by the Mysuru City Corporation (MCC), the rural areas’ survey was taken up by Zilla Panchayat (ZP). 

The survey has found that due to family compulsions, most women who have COVID symptoms do not report the infection to the authorities and this has hindered early detection and early treatment. Compulsions like losing income, burden of domestic work are forcing women not to report the cases but silently suffer within the confines of their homes. To tackle this, exclusive COVID Care Centres would be opened for women by the District Administration. 

While everyone is facing unprecedented challenges, women are bearing the brunt of the economic and social fallout of COVID-19. Women who are from poor and marginalised families face an even higher risk of virus transmission and fatalities as they are side-lined though they make essential contributions to the households. 

Many a time women are not sent to COVID Care Centres as there won’t be anyone to deal with household chores. “As such, they do not get the required rest and nutrition that are available to the rest of the family in case they are infected,” said Deputy Commissioner Rohini Sindhuri. 

To solve this problem, the District Administration is specially focussing on women. As part of the programme, separate COVID Care Centres would be opened for women within the MCC limits and also in the Taluk-level and rural areas. 

Keeping in mind that it is women who disproportionately bear the socio-economic hardships during COVID times as they are critical contributors to their households and communities, the District Administration has spelt out a strategy to focus on their response and recovery process. 

The Corporation has been directed to open COVID Care Centres like in all Taluks in the Government set up like hostels and buildings so that the 5,625 patients who are in home isolation can effectively be isolated and monitored. Also, separate COVID Care Centres for women will be opened, the DC said. 

Mysuru city has 8,865 active cases while the taluks have 6,855 active cases and all of them will be monitored Ward-wise and Panchayat-wise on a daily basis and the same will be shared for collective monitoring, Rohini Sindhuri added. 

Apart from focussing on women and isolated patients, the District Administration will concentrate on screening and tracking diabetic and comorbid cases for mucormycosis (Black Fungus) and also fast-track the vaccination process. The aim is to make Mysuru COVID-free by July 1 this year, the DC stated.