Inconclusive Covid tests leave SSLC student stressed in Chikkamagaluru

Chikkamagaluru: Less than two weeks left for the SSLC examination, and a student in Kadur in Chikkamagaluru district is dealing with an added pressure, in addition to coping with stress that entails appearing for a key test. Officials of the education department are not sure whether or not the boy has Covid-19 infection. Days after one of his samples tested positive for the novel coronavirus, two other swabs that were subsequently tested returned the results as negative.Now, keen on putting an end to the uncertainty, the officials concerned have sent the samples to the National Institute of Virology in Bengaluru, while the boy has been admitted to the designated Covid-19 hospital in Chikkamagaluru.
The student, a resident of a small village in Kadur taluk, has been steadfastly preparing for the SSLC examination for the past two months. Tarikere in Chikkamagaluru and towns in Shivamogga are the only places he has visited in the recent past. Besides, none of the 55 people identified as his primary contacts have tested positive for the novel coronavirus.
Chikkamagaluru deputy commissioner Bagadi Goutham said that the TB testing kits that the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) had greenlighted for examining Covid-19 samples, had been used to run the rapid coronavirus tests. “The health department ran the boy’s samples on the Truenat kits twice. We will get the results from the National Virology Centre in Bengaluru on Tuesday,” Goutham said.
Chikkamagaluru district in-charge minister CT Ravi said that samples were either being sent to Shivamogga or Hassan. “Samples from the district are also being sent to Nimhans. This is a rare case and the authorities concerned are looking into it,” Ravi added.
The student, meanwhile, is still grappling with the uncertainty of whether or not he will write the exam. The district administration has, however, provided him textbooks and other materials so he can continue preparing for the exam.