2 health workers who tended to boy also show Nipah symptoms
While battling the Covid-19 upsurge, Kerala is in for a double whammy as a 12-year-old boy died at Kozhikode following a Nipah virus attack on Sunday. Health Minister Veena George who rushed to Kozhikode told reporters that all three samples of the boy were found to be positive for Nipah virus by the National Institute of Virology (NIV) in Pune. At least 18 close contacts, mainly relatives and health workers who looked after the boy and 150 secondary contacts were identified and quarantined. Among the first group two health workers later showed symptoms of Nipah, the Minister said.
The boy came from Choolur in Chathamangalam panchayat and was admitted to hospital on September 1. Former Health Minister Shailaja said that there was no need to panic as the State was fully prepared to counter the Nipah attack. Department of Health officials said that the Union Government has deputed a team of experts to take stock of the situation arising out of the presence of Nipah virus in Kerala. On Sunday, 26,701 new people in Kerala were diagnosed with Covid-19 from 1.55 lakh samples tested during the last 24 hours, said a release by Health Ministry. It is slightly less than the 29,682 people who had tested positive on Saturday from 1.69 lakh samples tested.
The Test Positivity Rate on Sunday stood at 17.17 against 17.54 on Saturday. The pandemic claimed 74 patients taking the death toll till date to 21,496. Kozhikode district had the highest number of new cases on Sunday at 3,366 while Thrissur had 3,214, Ernakulam 2,915 and Malappuram 2,568 cases.
As on Sunday, there were 2.47 lakh Covid-19 patients undergoing treatment in the State.