For a week in Kerala, new cases in single digit but vigil continues

Rajiv G | TNN | Updated: Apr 18, 2020, 11:00 IST

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THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Kerala seems to have managed to flatten the Covid-19 curve but health experts have warned against lowering the vigil. New cases are being reported daily only in single digits for the past one week and the number of recoveries has topped them. The state has reported 32 new cases from April 11 to 17 while 129 patients had recovered from the infection during the period.
The total number of cases reported so far is 395 as against 500 cases by mid-April as feared by health officials. Health experts said the first two weeks of May could be crucial and the state's health machinery would have a daunting task if the state's borders are thrown open after May 3.
Dr Amar Fettle, state nodal officer for infectious diseases, said the state was now getting cases only from among those quarantined. "Among the 395 cases reported, we had more from among those who came from abroad (277). This shows that the timely quarantining of people had brought down the cases even among the primary contacts," he said.
The lockdown and timely quarantine were key to the containment, besides that there was no social spread. "We could identify everyone who came from the infected countries in the first phase and then all passengers in the second phase. This was the main reason why there was not much infection among primary contacts. The cases will come down considerably in the coming days till May 3," IMA vice-president Dr N Sulphi said.
The state's decision to enforce a 28-day quarantine for those who returned from high-risk countries over and above the 14-day WHO-mandated quarantine also paid dividends. "It reduced the number of direct contacts. Those who came from high-risk countries were monitored constantly and they were admitted to hospitals as soon as they developed any symptoms. These steps reduced the cases and this trend will continue till May 3," Kerala Government Medical Officers Association state secretary Dr G S Vijayakrishnan said.
‘Borders pose a great challenge’
Dr Amar Fettle said the challenge after May 3 would be in dealing with those entering the state through the borders. “It is easy to identify and quarantine those coming by flights, but what about those crossing the borders legally and illegally? They are going to be the carriers. The situation in other states is not under control and it is going to be a major threat,” he said.
The chances of cases going up are high once the road and rail traffic is allowed from neighbouring states. “The only solution is to ensure proper screening at all entry points. It is not easy to ensure screening at the borders like airports or ports,” Dr Sulphi said.
Dr Vijayakrishnan also said any influx of people from northern states could put the state under high risk.