KOCHI: Three Covid positive cases on Thursday – a 28-year-old excise department driver who died in Kannur, a civil police officer of Kalamassery police station and a woman whose infection was confirmed after her arrival in Chennai from Kochi – have become a headache for the state health department as the sources of their infection are unknown. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan himself had said two weeks back that the sources of infection of around 30 cases were yet to be ascertained. These facts surface when the state is staring at the chances of community spread of the pandemic, forcing experts to suggest to increase the number of tests.
“There has been only a marginal increase in the test positivity rate (a percentage of infections in a given number of tested samples) in the state over the last few days. However, the tests conducted in the state are not catching up, which might be the reason as to why the test positivity rate has not witnessed a major increase,” said Dr Riju John, economist and health policy analyst.
With the easing of lockdown rules and as the chances of community transmission remain high, health department officials also face difficulties in tracing the contacts. “Tracing sources and their contacts has become more difficult now as more people are coming into the state now. We are trying to trace all contacts by coordinating with the police department,” said an Ernakulam district health official. Dr Riju also said the government must focus on creating more awareness among the masses to control the disease spread.
In the cases of the excise department driver and police officer, they were in high-risk jobs. The 28-year-old Kannur native who died on Thursday had accompanied an accused who was taken into custody on June 3 and produced him for medical examination at the district hospital. He also visited a quarantine centre. The source of the CPO of Kalamassery station is still unidentified and his infection has forced the police department to ask 59 of the personnel posted at the station have been asked to remain in quarantine.
“More random antibody tests need to be conducted among people working in high-risk professions such as police officials, health workers, drivers and vegetable vendors to detect any recent virus infection and isolate them to prevent further spread of the disease,” said a health expert. As the infection of the Kalamassery CPO triggered panic, Ernakulam district medical officer N K Kuttapan came out with a statement ruling out community transmission, but other health officials said the situation could change any moment in view of increasing cases in certain parts.