Three new cases in state, total Covid-19 patients six

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:22.03.2020

Three more people tested positive for Covid-19 in Tamil Nadu on Saturday, taking the total number of cases to six, state health minister C Vijayabaskar said. While two of them are Thai nationals, the third, a 65-year-old man, had returned from New Zealand, he said.

The three new cases sent the state Covid-19 control room into a tizzy, as authorities placed healthcare workers exposed to the positive patients under quarantine. With regard to the two Thai nationals, health workers had to scan the passenger list of a Delhi-Erode train looking for their co-passengers and to identify people who had come into contact with them during their stay in Erode mosques. Authorities have asked the mosque managers to restrict entry and undertake disinfectant protocol.

“So far we have not had any case of community transmission in our state. We are doing our best to push back the virus,” he said.

The 65-year-old, who has landed in Chennai on March 15 from New Zealand via Singapore, developed Covid-19 symptoms on March 16 and was admitted to a private hospital in Chennai the next day. “He did not have symptoms while he was on the flight or when he arrived at the airport,” officials said. After he tested positive on Saturday, nine of his family workers and 11 health workers have been advised quarantine, public health officials said.

Class X exam in state postponed

Chief minister K Palaniswami on Saturday said Class X board exams in the state scheduled between March 27 and April 13 have been postponed. However, exams for Class XI scheduled for March 23 and 26 and Class 12 exam slated for March 24 would be held as per schedule, the CM told the Tamil Nadu assembly. About 9.45 lakh students will sit for Class X boards this year. P 2

TN woman treated in Covid ward dies

A 59-year-old suspected Covid-19 patient died at Kanyakumari GH on Saturday night. “The woman had no travel history. She came in a critical condition from a private hospital. She had suffered a left-ventricular heart failure. Her body will be kept in the hospital mortuary till results for Covid-19 investigations are received,” said Kanyakumari GH Dean, Dr R Suganthy.

Bigger worry for public health dept is the case history of two Thai nationals

The condition of the patient was stable, and none of the contacts has shown symptoms of the disease so far, they said.

A bigger worry for the public health department is the case history of the two Thai nationals, now under treatment at IRT Perundurai. The two were among seven Thai nationals who travelled to Erode from Thailand. While one of them died in coimbatore last week, these two have tested positive for covid-19 now.

“These two arrived in New Delhi on March 6. They were going around the capital for about four days and boarded the Millennium express to Erode on March 10,” officials said. After they reached Erode, they spent time in at least three mosques until March15.

When the 49-year-old Thailand national died at the Coimbatore Medical College Hospital (CMCH) last week, doctors said he had complications of diabetic nephropathy, sepsis and pulmonary oedema.

However, after the death these two were brought under custody and isolated at IRT hospital, Perundurai. Their samples were taken on March 17 and they tested positive on Saturday.

The department has sought information from the Railways about the passengers who travelled with them on the same coach. Health officials are also visiting the mosques to quarantine maulvis and workers in the mosque.

It’s not just the number of cases that doubled, everything from the number of people in hospital isolation to home quarantine nearly doubled since Friday. “I am scared about this virus,” said health minister C Vijayabaskar.

“Doctors like us usually do not talk about fear. But the news about the pandemic in countries like Italy is scary. I saw images of Army waiting to clear bodies of the dead,” he said. “We don’t have to get there. We can stop the spread if we are careful now. People must follow social distancing,” he said. On Saturday, the number of people who were put on home quarantine went up to 8,950 from 4,253.

Full report on www.toi.in