COVID-19 stalks Odisha’s poorly connected Nuapada district

Relying on Chhattisgarh for jobs and supplies, Nuapada’s health infrastructure is under severe strain with a test positivity rate of nearly 40%.

At Bikrampur village, surrounded by the Kudalkiara forest in western Odisha’s Nuapada district, Muralidhar Kand, 52, is very relieved that 18 days have passed since he tested positive for COVID-19. His brother, Shyamdhar, 45, too appears to be recuperating well from COVID-19. But, Mr. Kand said, “We were left puzzled when we tested positive for the coronavirus. We rarely go outside for shopping while vendors occasionally come to us. Our interaction with the outside world is limited.” A small forest patch has to be crossed to reach Bikrampur, home to about 50 families. “If tests are conducted scrupulously, identifying people having flu-like symptoms, I am sure every home will turn into a COVID Care Centre,” Mr. Kand remarked.