THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Amid suspicion over the prevalence of intra-hospital transmission of the virus, the state health department has come out with a new approach to prevent healthcare centres from becoming hotbeds of COVID-19 transmission. Of the 1,908 new cases recorded on Sunday, 50 are health workers.
In the past two days, over 100 health workers tested positive for the disease. “A special approach is needed to keep in check intra-hospital transmission of the virus. Every day a number of health workers and patients get infected. This is a serious situation and needs to be addressed without any delay,” said an officer of the health department.
The department will investigate cases in which healthcare workers and patients get infected on a case-to-case basis. It will also carry out detailed contact tracing to identify patients and healthcare workers exposed in wards, rooms, ICUs, bathrooms and other facilities in the hospital.
The other day, the department had decided to send healthcare workers, who had come into contact with a confirmed case through breach of personal protective equipment, to 14-day home or institutional quarantine. However, it was also stated that the duration of quarantine shall be fixed individual-specific by institutional medical boards based on aspects like risk of exposure.
Roundup
Of the 1,908 cases, 1,718 contracted the disease through local transmission. They include 160 cases with unknown sources of infection.
The infected also includes 140 returnees (35 from abroad and 105 from other states). Taking the COVID death tally to 223, five deaths were recorded on the day and 1,110 recovered on the day. The active cases have crossed the 20,000-mark and now stand at 20,330.