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New Indian Express
3 days ago
- General
- New Indian Express
Kerala hospitals told to strengthen COVID-19 protocols with more testing
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The health department has issued revised guidelines aimed at curbing the spread of Covid, amid a recent spike in cases in the state. The measures include mandatory mask-wearing for high-risk individuals, particularly in crowded public spaces, and renewed emphasis on mask usage, cough etiquette, and hand hygiene. On Tuesday, an 80-year-old man who had tested positive for Covid died. He was also suffering from severe pneumonia and comorbidities. The state reported 19 new Covid cases and one fatality on the same day, bringing the number of active cases to 1,416. The total death toll now stands at nine. Dr Reena K J, director of health services, has directed hospitals to conduct rapid antigen tests for all patients presenting with influenza-like illness (ILI), acute respiratory infections (ARI), or severe acute respiratory infections (SARI). To prevent cross-infection, hospitals must ensure that Covid and influenza patients are accommodated in separate wards or rooms. In healthcare facilities, masks have been made mandatory for all healthcare workers, patients, and visitors. The number of visitors will be limited, and symptomatic individuals will be required to undergo testing before entry. Dr Reena has also urged hospitals to make full use of RT-PCR testing facilities in each district. Additionally, samples with a high viral load (CT value below 25) will be sent to the National Institute of Virology (NIV), Pune, for whole-genome sequencing. Each district is expected to submit at least 15 such samples every two weeks. Hospitals — both public and private — have been instructed to ensure the availability of essential resources, including oxygen supplies, medications, personal protective equipment (PPE), oxygen-supported beds, ventilators, and ICU beds. In relief camps, individuals showing symptoms such as fever, chills, cough, or shortness of breath are required to wear masks. Vulnerable groups — including the elderly, pregnant women, and those with underlying health conditions — are strongly advised to wear masks at all times. Revised guidelines
Hindustan Times
25-05-2025
- Health
- Hindustan Times
Pune witnesses a surge in Covid cases, 5 children hospitalised
Pune city has witnessed a surge in Covid-19 infection cases, and as per treating doctors, the uptick has been witnessed over the past week. Doctors at Sassoon General Hospital (SGH) have reported the virus infection amongst five children. On Sunday, a six-month-old boy was discharged from the hospital after successful treatment. He had tested positive for Covid-19 on 21 May. Similarly, a three-month-old girl was discharged from SGH on 22 May. She tested positive for the virus infection on 18 many. Both patients required oxygen support during treatment, said the officials. Also Read | COVID scare: Lucknow hospitals gear up to deal with potential emergencies There are three Covid-19 patients currently undergoing treatment at the Pediatric ward. This includes a 13-year-old girl and a 13-year-old boy. Both of them were admitted a week back and are known cases of tuberculosis and are on oxygen support. Besides, a one-year-old girl has tested positive for Covid-19 and is undergoing treatment. She has been admitted with complaints of convulsions and high-grade fever, said the SGH doctors. Dr Aarti Kinikar, head of the pediatric department at BJMC and SGH, said a surge in Covid-19 cases, especially in pediatric patients, has been witnessed over a week. Also Read | Covid-19 cases rise in India: Surge reported in Delhi, Maharashtra, Kerala, Karnataka 'We daily send around four to five samples to the National Institute of Virology (NIV) for testing. Few patients came with complaints of pneumonia, and the symptoms were mild among the infected. We are a part of the Sentinel survey for the state and country,' she said. Dr Ekanth Pawar, dean of BJMC and SGH, said, 'There has been a surge in cases of Covid-19. The surge has been witnessed amongst the children, but the symptoms remain mild.' Also Read | New Covid variants NB.1.8.1 and LF.7 detected in India, INSACOG data says: Is there any risk? Maharashtra on Sunday reported 43 fresh Covid-19 cases. Of which 35 are from Mumbai, 7 from Pune Municipal Corporation and 1 from Pune Rural. Since January, as many as 300 Covid cases and four deaths among the infected have been reported.
Hindustan Times
14-05-2025
- Health
- Hindustan Times
State plans Maharashtra Institute of Virology, along the lines of NIV
In its efforts to strengthen diagnostic and research capabilities in the state, the Maharashtra public health department is all set to establish the Maharashtra Institute of Virology (MIV), along the lines of the National Institute of Virology (NIV), Pune, officials in the know within the state government shared on Tuesday. With an initial budget of ₹38 crore, this will the state's first such lab in the city. An official from the health department, who was a part of the team involved in conceptualising the project, said MIV will be set up either by expanding the government's existing diagnostic laboratory in Camp or by developing a new facility within the campus of Aundh District Hospital. In either case, the institute will come up in an area of approximately 30,000 square feet. To start with, the laboratory will operate at Bio-Safety Level 2 (BSL-2) and subsequently upgraded to Bio-Safety Level 3 (BSL-3). Bio safety levels are conducted to test various pathogens. Once up and running, the institute will reduce the state's dependency on NIV especially during outbreaks of viral diseases. This was evident during past episodes such as the Covid-19 pandemic, the Human Metapneumovirus (HMPV) cases, and the recent outbreak of Guillain-Barré Syndrome, officials said. Health minister Prakash Abitkar told HT, that in cases of such outbreaks, the state has no option but to depend on NIV. 'We want MIV to be a comprehensive, state-of-the-art large facility that can also attract researchers from around the globe. While such a project was not envisioned earlier, going forward, we don't want to lag behind any government or private institution in testing capabilities.' The public health department operates a laboratory in Camp that was established in 1912. It is spread across 14,000 square feet, functions at the BSL-2 level and is equipped to conduct chemical and microbiological testing of food and water samples. However, over time, officials have emphasised the pressing need for a more advanced facility, particularly during viral outbreaks. A senior health official, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said that the location for the MIV will be finalised soon. 'We have submitted a proposal to the Public Works Department (PWD) to expand the existing Camp laboratory. An additional 14,000 square feet will be used to enhance and upgrade its testing capabilities. This expanded facility will be developed parallel to the MIV,' the official said. Abitkar called the establishment of MIV 'a milestone for the public health department'. 'The facility will not only serve Maharashtra but also assist other states when needed. As a government body, we must build our own world-class infrastructure with equipment that meets global standards. The lab will come up either at our existing facility in Camp or Aundh (where 85 acres of space is lying vacant) and is expected to be operational within six months. If MIV comes up in Aundh, the expansion planned in Camp will be an additional resource,' he said.
The Hindu
09-05-2025
- Health
- The Hindu
Greater regularity: On the Nipah virus
The case of a 42-year-old woman in Kerala testing positive for Nipah virus on May 8 makes it the third such instance being reported from the State's Malappuram district in the last two years. The earlier cases were detected last year, in a 14-year-old boy on July 21 and a 24-year-old adult on September 15. With the latest detection of Nipah in the State, Kerala has recorded two outbreaks, in the years 2018 and 2023, involving human-to-human transmission, and four spillovers in the years 2019 and 2021, and two events in 2024. In the May 8 event, even though only one person tested positive for Nipah and seven close contacts tested negative, it is a bit early to call it a spillover. Unlike an outbreak, Nipah spillovers are restricted to a single case with no human-to-human transmission. One reason for the absence of human spread is the timely detection of the case and isolation of the patient. The other reason is the clinical presentation. In the case of Nipah virus spillovers, patients who tested positive for the virus had presented with acute encephalitis syndrome (AES), while in the Nipah outbreaks in 2018 and 2023, the index case and at least a few other infected people had presented with acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). Compared with AES, patients with ARDS present with relatively severe conditions with lung involvement. Besides cough, patients presenting with ARDS have higher viral loads, which serve as a surrogate for disease severity. Immaterial of whether blood, urine or cerebrospinal fluid samples test positive or not, throat swab samples generally test positive if a person is infected by the Nipah virus, which again serve as an indicator of human spread in the case of patients with ARDS. The high viral load, the presence of virus in the throat and the tendency to cough make human spread possible. Greater disease severity in ARDS cases is also the reason for the Nipah deaths in 2018 and 2023. There were 17 deaths from 18 cases in the 2018 outbreak, and two deaths from six cases in the 2023 outbreak. A study by the ICMR-National Institute of Virology (NIV) Pune found that the 2018 Nipah virus had small genetic variations from the Bangladesh strain and was able to cause multisystemic disease in a Syrian hamster model resembling human infection. The Nipah virus is capable of causing different clinical presentations and is endowed with the ability to cause human spread in some cases. This makes a strong case for a quick and thorough genetic study of the virus in humans and bats. With Nipah cases now a very regular occurrence in Kerala, the compulsion to routinely study fruit bats, which are natural hosts for Nipah, cannot be overemphasised. That even the 2018 virus showed small genetic differences from the Bangladesh strain makes it even more important to know whether the virus causing the spillovers without human spread has evolved further. Such studies can be done by more scientists only when the genetic sequences are shared in public databases without any delay.
The Hindu
09-05-2025
- Health
- The Hindu
Kerala reports seventh Nipah outbreak since 2018
On May 8, a new case of Nipah virus was confirmed in Kerala in a 42-year-old woman from Valanchery in Malappuram district. On May 6, testing for the Nipah virus was first undertaken at the Calicut Medical College. When the tested samples were positive for Nipah, a sample was sent to the National Institute of Virology (NIV), Pune on May 7 afternoon for Nipah confirmation. The NIV confirmed Nipah on May 8 afternoon. According to Dr. T.S. Anish, Nodal Officer, Kerala One Health, Centre for Nipah Research and Resilience, and Professor of Community Medicine at Government Medical College, Kozhikode, samples tested using Truenat came positive for the Nipah virus. To confirm the result, samples were tested in the microbiology lab using RT-PCR. Only the urine sample tested positive for the Nipah virus, says Dr. Anish. According to him, blood and throat swab samples did not test positive for the Nipah virus. 'This may be because of the late stage of viraemic infection. Viruses do not persist in the body for long and hence the blood and throat swab samples did not test positive for the virus, while the urine sample alone tested positive,' he says. Samples collected from the infected person's contacts were tested at the Manjeri Government Medical College in Malappuram district. All seven high-risk individuals closely connected to the woman tested negative for Nipah on May 8. The patient had minor symptoms on April 25, and presented with worsened clinical symptoms on May 1 and was admitted to the EMS Hospital at Perinthalmanna. Her condition worsened by noon the following day and was shifted to the critical care intensive care unit, intubated and ventilated. She exhibited acute encephalitis syndrome and had classic symptoms of dengue. She tested positive for dengue and hence Nipah was not suspected. It was only when her condition did not improve that samples were sent for Nipah testing two days later. Two outbreaks in 2024 The Nipah outbreak now reported is the seventh instance in Kerala. The first outbreak was reported in 2018, followed by outbreaks in 2019, 2021, 2023 and 2024. Last year, Kerala reported two Nipah outbreaks — July 21 in a 14-year-old boy and the second one on September 15 in a 24-year-old adult. Both outbreaks in 2024 were in Malappuram district. With the May 8 outbreak, there have been three Nipah outbreaks in Malappuram district in all.
