Surveillance teams identify at least 20 primary contacts of ex-MLC

Mangaluru: Faced with a potent situation of a super-spreader, district health authorities have scrambled surveillance teams to ascertain primary contacts of former MLC Ivan D’Souza. The step comes in the wake of D’Souza and his wife testing positive for the novel coronavirus, which he disclosed in a Facebook post on Saturday. Ivan has had busy public engagements since last Monday, culminating with the two-day visit of KPCC president D K Shivakumar to the district on Friday.
District health and family welfare officer Dr Ramachandra Bairy said that surveillance teams are in touch over telephone with D’Souza. As per established protocols, any person who has been in contact with a person testing positive for the virus for more than 15 minutes, and without wearing a mask will be deemed a primary contact, Dr Bairy said, adding the surveillance teams as per information given by D’Souza, have zeroed in on 20 people so far.
“We are also going through the video footage, wherever available, to cross-verify the same,” Dr Bairy said. Those deemed primary contacts will be asked to voluntarily undergo 14 days of self-isolation, he said, adding if any symptoms of the disease surface between days 5-10, they need to get themselves tested. Ivan had accompanied Shivakumar on his various public engagements, including a 10-minute stopover to meet the bishop at the Bishop’s House.
Former health minister U T Khader, one such primary contact, stated in a Facebook post that he was isolating himself for a few days due to his proximity to Ivan since the past week. “I will always be available to my constituents over phone,” the post said.