New Delhi: In order to keep a track of COVID-19 spreading almost five states have asked shops and chemists to keep a track of all the cough/cold/flu medicines sold according to a PTI news report. Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Orrisa, Maharashtra & parts of Bihar have issued advisories to medical shops and chemists to keep a record of people who buy cough, cold or fever medicine by making a note of their address, name & phone number. The authorities are planning to collect the list daily to trace people and subsequently test them for COVID-19, the report said.

In order to stay a step ahead of the virus, various measures are being used to trace and track the virus. According to the PTI report, the memo was sent out on Friday by Municipal Administration and Urban Development Department of Telangana told all municipal commissioners and additional collectors to hold a meeting with shopkeepers and chemist to instruct them to take the necessary details, also letting these customers know that testing is for their own benefit.

Similarly, the Drug Controller Administration under the Health and Family Welfare Department of Odisha has asked pharmacists to note the address or at least telephone number of the persons buying medicines for cold, cough and sneezing. "We have been collecting data in order to ascertain the ratio of the population vulnerable to cold and fever. There is no reason to be worried about. The data may be used in extreme cases in the future," M Patnaik, the Drugs Controller of Odisha, told PTI.

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In Bihar, Rohtas and Bhojpur, district administrations have issued a directive to pharmacies to submit records of people buying medicines for fever, cough, and cold probably to keep track of those having symptoms akin to COVID-19. According to the order, the medicine shops have been told to submit information to the authorities concerned in their respective areas.

According to some reports, in Pune, the police took charge to order all medical shops and chemists to take relevant information of people buying such medicines especially the ones who walk in a doctor’s prescription for cough, fever, sneezing and breathing ailments. These lists have to be submitted via WhatsApp by 8 pm daily, with any violation to attract action. The order is based on the directives of Maharashtra’s public health department. The orders also urge medical shops to guide customers with symptoms like COVID-19 to PMC-run flu clinics.

Coronavirus positive cases have reached 17,265 and deaths recorded are 543 so far.

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