After two schools turn COVID-19 cluster in Kerala, concern for elderly at home

After two government schools in Kerala's Malappuram, identified as COVID-19 clusters, infecting 187 students and 75 staff, got shut, the health authorities in the district have beefed up regulation in the region to contain the infection. As part of this, house surveys have been started in Maranchery gram panchayat and Perumbadappu grama panchayat, where the two schools are located. The house surveys are aimed to ensure that more number of susceptible people are identified and tested, officials said.

A month back, Kerala had resumed classes for class 10 and 12 students abiding COVID-19 protocol. According to Health Department officials, it was the consequent testing held after a teacher and a student the schools tested positive, that other infected persons were also identified.

According to officials, the door-to-door surveys are being done by a three member team consisting of Asha worker, ward member and member of Rapid Response Team formed in the local bodies. The team identifies vulnerable groups of people including aged persons, those with comorbidities and those exhibiting even minor symptoms.

“People in this list will be made to undergo tests on the allotted days,” says Perumpaddappa Grama Panchayat President Bineesha Musthafa. She also added that those with symptoms will be asked to undergo home quarantine.

Initially, the surveys are carried out in the regions declared as containment zones, she added.

Meanwhile, the district health officials have mooted more plans to contain the spread of infection from the school clusters.

“Once all the people who have directly come in contact with the patients in the school cluster are tested, then testing will be concentrated in other schools in the region. We will be testing everyone with symptoms of comorbidities,” Deputy District Medical Officer Dr Mohammed Ismail, told TNM.

As per sources in the Health Department, informal discussions are being held to concentrate COVID-19 tests among schools.

Hundreds of people, who had directly come in contact with the positive students and staff, have already undergone tests and are awaiting results, Dr Mohammed said. He also added that no one is in serious condition and that only few exhibit minor symptoms.

Meanwhile, the incident is being looked upon with much concern by the state government, considering hundreds of schools in the state have opened for class 10 and 12 students.

“The situation is concerning as the infection could have spread from hundreds of these students to others. But one thing we have to understand is that schools are always an amplifier of viral infections. It is because schools were shut down last year that Kerala had a massive dip in viral fever in the state,” Dr Amar Fettle, state nodal officer for COVID-19.

He also added that there are also limitations to make school goers understand the seriousness of following COVID-19 regulations.

“Even if inside the school teachers can manage this, once out of the school, the regulations are not often adhered to,” Dr Amar says. But he adds that the government has not officially decided to bring regulations on functioning of schools in the wake of the formation of COVID-19 clusters in Malappuram schools.

Notably, for weeks together, Kerala remains the top in the list of states in India with highest active COVID-19 cases.  In this context, the Indian Medical Association (IMA) had written to the Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, asking not to reopen schools this academic year.

IMA had noted that there is 25% possibility of students transmitting the disease to elderly people in their houses, by being carriers. “Reopening schools in the current academic year will only result in an increase in the transmission of the disease,” IMA had said in the letter written on Monday.

Meanwhile, a section of other experts state that closing schools will not be a solution for the issue. “Anyway it is only class 10 and 12 which is functioning now, considering that their exam dates are also declared, it will not be practical to shut schools. What can be done is enforcing safety measures strictly among students and the government can further increase testing,” says Dr Arun NM, a Palakkad based internal medicine expert.

He also adds that enforcing reverse quarantine will also be effective to protect aged persons and people with comorbidities.