Covid cluster at IIT-M: 12 students test positive, health department to increase testing in TN

Some students were symptomatic, and they got tested late, it was learnt. However, the source of infection is yet to be found.
IIT-Madras  (Photo | Sunish P Surendran, EPS)
IIT-Madras (Photo | Sunish P Surendran, EPS)

CHENNAI: 12 students at the IIT-M campus have tested positive for Covid-19 at a time when there is a slight uptick in cases in the State. A further 385 samples have now been taken for testing.

Health secretary Radhakrishnan along with other officials visited the IIT campus on Thursday. The health secretary told The New Indian Express that the first student to test positive had returned from Kerala. Ten students have been isolated on the campus, one is being treated in a private hospital while one more student had left for another state, whose officials have been notified.

Some students were symptomatic, and they got tested late, it was learnt. However, the source of infection is yet to be found.

The cluster emerges at a time when cases are increasing in Delhi and other states.

"People in TN should stop taking it easy. There might be an increase in cases here too. People should wear masks and get vaccinated," the health secretary emphasised.

TN's Covid numbers have increased to 39 on Thursday from 31 on Wednesday. In Chennai, 21 cases were reported on Thursday against 16 cases on Wednesday.

Radhakrishnan said that the first case was reported on April 19. Then, on April 21, two more cases were confirmed. After this, the Chennai Corporation along with IIT-M officials and the health department tested 18 of their contacts, of whom nine tested positive.

All 12 students who tested positive are vaccinated.

According to health department data, the first cases were reported at the IIT-M Bhadra Hostel, while another two cases were reported each in Sarayu Hostel and Mandakini hostel. The officials plan to test another 1,500 samples in the next two days.

We have first started to test the contacts, but later everyone in the hostels will be tested. The results are expected on Friday, Radhakrishnan said.

The health secretary said the testing strategy that will be adopted will depend on the results the samples will yield.

If all samples test negative, then only those who are symptomatic will be tested. If some test positive, a saturation test will be carried out. Government Corona Hospital in King Institute, Guindy has also been kept ready in case a need arises.

Radhakrishnan went on to add that people should come forward to get vaccinated and get tested if they have any symptoms without the slightest delay as they could spread the infection to others.

Forty lakh people in the State are yet to take their first dose, while 1.4 crore people haven't taken the second dose.

The health department plans to increase testing and test at least 25,000 samples across the state every day.

The IIT-M cluster samples are being sent for genome sequencing to detect the variant behind the infections.

There is a chance that cases will rise in the coming days, but people should not panic and follow Covid-19 appropriate behaviour, Radhakrishnan said.

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