Karnataka: Special testing drive for college students

MYSURU: Students in hostels and paying guest accommodations are in focus after an outbreak of Covid cases among nursing college students in Hassan. Health officials are now carrying out tests in educational institutes.
Authorities are keeping a close watch on the student community, especially those in hostels.
Last week, more than a dozen nursing students on from a college on Bengaluru-Mysuru road had tested positive and have been quarantined. More than 400 students were tested and officials claim the rest of them tested negative.
Mysuru DHO Dr KH Prasad said 17 students of a nursing college tested positive. None of them were from Kerala. After these students were found infected, every other inmate in the hostel was tested. In all, 400 were tested and none had contracted the virus.
“Health officials are on their toes and heads of all institutes have been directed to inform about any student or inmate of the hostels or paying guest houses having Covid symptoms. Students are coming forward for testing,” he claimed.
Prasad said every day nearly 10,000 Covid tests are being done across Mysuru. Swab samples are also being collected from students regularly. “As of now, the situation is not alarming. All our staff have been instructed to test all inmates or students if anyone among them tests positive or has Covid symptoms,” he added.
With at least a single dose of vaccine made compulsory for students to attend physical classes, those visiting vaccination centres are being subjected to Covid test. Testing a student means getting a sample from a family.