COVID-19 contact tracing an uphill battle in Virudhunagar village

The canker in the eye is the fact that no clear contact has been established between the four persons; who the index patient in the village is and how they contracted the infection.
Officials from health department taking samples from Meenakshi Amman Temple employees in Madurai. (Photo| EPS/ KK SUNDAR)
Officials from health department taking samples from Meenakshi Amman Temple employees in Madurai. (Photo| EPS/ KK SUNDAR)

MADURAI: Two new positive cases were reported from Kanniseripudhur, a remote village in Virudhunagar, and one from in Srivilliputhur on Thursday. With a total of 22 positive cases reported so far, Virudhunagar has crossed over to the red zone. Of the three new cases, one is an 11-year-old boy -- the first child the district to contract the infection -- and one is a 30-year-old health inspector from Srivilliputhur -- the first health worker in the district to contract the virus.

The boy and a 29-year-old woman -- the third patient -- are from Kumarapuram hamlet of Kanniseripudhur village, where a 20-year-old college student tested positive on April 19. As on Thursday, Kanniseripudhur village has four positive cases, including a 38-year-old man who tested positive earlier.

The canker in the eye is the fact that no clear contact has been established between the four persons; who the index patient in the village is and how they contracted the infection have also not been ascertained.

According to sources, the 29-year-old woman visited a house near the college student's house to pay rent. The officials are now trying to find out whether the duo had any contact with each other at that time or whether the woman visited the latter's house.

However, officials have not been able to establish how the boy, who seldom leaves the house, contracted the infection. The boy is a chronic asthmatic patient and, according to sources, had not left the house ever since the lockdown was imposed for fear of getting infected. The boy and woman were asymptomatic. Their samples turned positive during the tests performed on all those residing within the containment zone, said a health official.

The health worker

The 30-year-old health inspector from Srivilliputhur approached the government Srivilliputhur hospital with a throat infection on April 21. Swabs were from him and sent for testing. He worked at the Mamsapuram Primary Health Centre (PHC) and resided at Maraneri of Sivakasi, according to sources.  He had accompanied a group of people, who were contacts of a recently discharged 60-year-old man from Rajapalayam, for swab tests. As the inspector in-charge of Srivilliputhur Taluk, he had been visiting all villages. All the three have been shifted to Government Rajaji Hospital (GRH). With 10 people discharged from GRH, the number of active cases in Virudhunagar stands at 12.

Two new cases in Madurai; no links with active COVID patients

Two more persons, including the mother of a priest at the Meenakshi Sundareswarar Temple tested positive, on Thursday. The patients are a 70-year-old woman residing on the West Masi Street and a 60-year-old man residing in Sellur. The total  number of cases stands at 52 in Madurai, according to Collector TG Vinay.

The septuagenarian is diabetic and has coronary artery disease (CAD). She was admitted to the GRH on April 21. She later developed fever, he further said. The woman's son works as a priest at Meenakshi Sundareswarar temple and his samples have been sent for testing on Thursday, said the temple management. The second patient is a watchman who last reported to work one month ago. "Both the patients had no link with other COVID-19 positive patients. The source of their infection is still being traced," he said.
 
Nurse tests positive in Ramnad, PHC sealed

After a 27-year-old nurse at the Upgraded Primary Health Centre (PHC) at Uchipuli tested positive for COVID-19 on Thursday, the Upgraded PHC was sealed.  The total number of patients in the district stands at 12, said Collector K Veera Raghava Rao.
 As she resided at Sakkarakottai, both Uchipuli and Sakkarakottai became containment zones, he added.

23-year- old youth tested positive in Nellai

After a 23-year-old youth tested positive for COVID-19, the total number of positive cases rose to 63 in the district on Thursday. The youth was shifted to the TvMCH. Collector Shilpa Prabhakar Satish said he was a family member of a Delhi returnee.

Puliyangudi Continues to be Hot Spot

A 45-year-old man tested positive in Puliyangudi, taking the total number of COVID-19 patients in the town to 29 and in the district to 32. He was shifted to TvMCH. Meanwhile, a Kulathupuzha-based youth who had a travel history to Puliyangudi tested positive in Kerala on Wednesday. Sources said he had stayed in Puliyangudi from March 19 to 21. "He came to Puliyangudi to attend the funeral of his uncle and returned to Kerala. He once again came to Puliyangudi on April 4 in a vegetable lorry and returned to Kerala on April 6.

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