Did authorities in Tamil Nadu fail to see the signs?

Experts say failure to close Koyambedu market in Chennai early led to explosion of COVID-19 cases

06/05/2020, RAMYA KANNAN,CHENNAI

Months into the pandemic, pieces of the sub-cellular pathogenic puzzle seem to be falling into place. One thing amply clear now is that its spread is akin to a storm - dispersing from a focal point to a larger area.

This is exactly how Koyambedu market has come to infect large parts of Tamil Nadu.

An analysis of States that have had over 2,500 cases shows how it is often the biggest/busiest city that SARS-CoV-2 seems to strike in. The lesson that governments could take from this is to look for, in the initial stages, an epicentre and launch control measures.

In retrospect, perhaps the shutting down of the Koyambedu market comes at least a month late.

The signs were there for all to see. Chennai, which had the highest number of cases, also showed a high preponderance in its northern parts, which have a density of about 27,000 people per square km. The population density in Chennai, and Koyambedu market, are among the key reasons that make physical distancing difficult in the city.

No relief

Unlike in rural areas, where the landscape offers relief, cities such as Chennai do not have any such relief, says K. Kolandaisamy, former director of public health who led the COVID-19 control efforts until recently.

“Cities are places where infection is magnified rapidly. In a village, or rural area, it will be much slower,” says T. Jacob John, eminent virologist.