30% of all positive cases in city are household contacts Corpn Asks Infected To Wear Mask At Home Too

 

30% of all positive cases in city are household contacts

Corpn Asks Infected To Wear Mask At Home Too

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Omjasvin.MD@timesgroup.com

11.01.2022

Chennai: Around 30% of people with Covid-19 in the city are those who share homes with quarantined patients, the city corporation has found.

According to data collated by the corporation through contact tracing, 1,502 of the 5,040 people who tested positive on January 8, are family contacts or those who shared the household with quarantined patients.

Such cases made up half the new infections in north Chennai, where manyneighbourhoods have small houses. In Madhavaram zone, 60% of cases were household contacts, Thiru Vi Ka Nagar reported 49% of them, and Tondiarpet 43%.

Such cases were fewer in Anna Nagar, Teynampet and Adyar, where housesaregenerally bigger. Only 12% cases are family contacts in Anna Nagar zone, 25% in Teynampet and15% in Adyar.

With this learning, the city corporation has suggested people sharing houses with patients wear masks all the time.

Corporation commissioner Gagandeep Singh Bedi said the civic body could do little to contain spread in homes. “We are efficiently containing it in public places,but mostcases arecoming from inside homes. Only wearing masks at home can reduce the spread,” the commissioner said.

Medical experts also suggested the same thing. Dr C Jagadeesh, senior consultant, internal medicine, Apollo Hospitals, said people with comorbid conditions sharing houses withquarantined patients should wear mask and try to maintain social distance as much as possible.

“The spread inside the houses was observed even during the previous Covid waves, but this time it is faster. Other than this, hygienic practices such as frequent washing of hands should be followed,” said Dr Jagadeesh.