T’PURAM/KOZHIKODE: Kozhikode continued to reel in the grip of Nipah anxiety with the number of people in the contact list of patients infected by the deadly virus nearing 1,000. With 234 more people added on Thursday, the total number of people in the contact list has now reached 950. Of these, 213, including four in private hospitals, have been classified as high-risk. There are 287 health workers on the list. The health department has sent samples of 15 more high-risk contacts for testing.
The department has decided to conduct testing of all high-risk contacts in the state. It has also collected information for preparing the route map of the health worker who tested positive on Wednesday.
Health Minister Veena George on Thursday night said 11 more samples have been tested negative. So far 29 samples turned out to be negative and four positive, while the results of two are yet to come. Hospitals where Nipah-positive patients are being treated have been directed to constitute a medical board, and hand over a medical report to the department every 12 hours. The medical board will decide the course of treatment of the patients.
A mobile team from the National Institute of Virology is ready for testing at Kozhikode Medical College and another mobile team from Rajiv Gandhi Centre for Biotechnology in Thiruvananthapuram will reach Kozhikode on Friday. Meanwhile, the central team reached Kozhikode to assess the situation and held discussions with district authorities.
Central team likely to visit affected areas today, restrictions tightened
The team is likely to visit the Nipah-affected areas on Friday. The district administration has tightened restrictions in containment zones and in the district in general.
Masks have been made mandatory in the district. The health minister said the service of police will also be sought to trace the contacts. The health department has created more isolation wards in private hospitals as part of Plan B in case of further increase in cases, Veena said.
The minister directed KMSCL to ensure additional supply of medicines and safety materials. Public Works Minister P A Mohamed Riyas also attended the review meeting. A similar review meeting will be held on Friday. Speaking in the assembly earlier in the day, the health minister detailed the Nipah situation in the state and measures taken by the department.
She said Kozhikode and neighbouring districts such as Kannur, Wayanad and Malappuram are on alert following the Nipah outbreak.