70% who tested positive asymptomatic, says VMC

Sachin Sharma | TNN | Apr 22, 2020, 04:30 IST

Out of 183 active cases, 127 were asymptomatic

Vadodara: Over 70 per cent of Covid-19 persons, who had tested positive for the virus in the city, are asymptomatic or have mild symptoms that may go unnoticed. It is a matter of concern as silent spreaders may keep passing on the novel coronavirus to others.
Vadodara Municipal Corporation (VMC) sources said out of 183 active cases till Tuesday afternoon, at east 127 were asymptomatic. Such patients are kept at Covid Care Centres at Ajwa Road ITI and High Speed Railway Training Institute hostel in the city as per government guidelines. Some who are currently at GMERS, Gotri hostels are also asymptomatic.
VMC officials said asymptomatic cases come to light during mass sampling as well as tests of contacts of the persons suffering from Covid-19.
They added that high number of asymptomatic cases was prevalent across the country.
“This shows that morbidity of the virus is low. We will have to focus our efforts on persons in high-risk category to ensure that they remain safe,” said VMC medical officer (health) Dr Devesh Patel. A major drive has already been started in this direction by asking doctors to educate their high-risk patients about the situation. Indian Medical Association’s help has also been sought in this regard.
The situation is such that many who test positive, but are completely healthy often pick arguments with those taking care of them.
The staff at GMERS, Gotri had to face this situation. Many argue even when health teams take them to Covid Care Centre or hospital when they test positive for Covid-19.