COVID-19 in stage of community transfer due for poor handling of quarantine facilities
Surkhet, June 25 : With the confirmation of coronavirus infection on five health workers of Karnali State Hospital and some other cases, the officials have confirmed the community transfer of coronavirus infection in Karnali State.
This is the first of its case of coronavirus infection in which a large number of health workers in the Karnali State are infected.
Three patients from Dailekh and Surkhet districts with no travel history also tested positive for the virus and the health workers involved in the treatment of those patients got infected from the virus, confirming the community transfer of coronavirus infection in Karnali.
Prior to this, a student of west Surkeht without any travel history was infected. After treatment in the State Hospital’s isolation for two weeks, he recovered from the infection.
Likewise, 58-year-old man from Jagadulla in Dolpa, who succumbed to coronavirus infection, had neither return home from abroad nor was in the direct contact with the returnees.
As the number of cases of community transfer increased in the State, the level of threat has obviously gone up.
On Sunday, a child from Dailekh was tested positive for the virus in the State Hospital. As his father was an India returnee, the swabs of his parents were tested. Finally, all three tested positive for the coronavirus infection. Currently, all of them are receiving treatment at Corona Special Hospital of the State Hospital.
Doctors argued that coronavirus infection reached at the community level due to poor management of the quarantine facilities here. Lack of proper management of quarantine facilities, sending quarantined individuals back home without PCR test and failure for practical implementation of the home quarantine are responsible for the community transfer of the virus.
Consultant doctor of State Hospital in Surkhet Nabraj KC said that the virus spread at the community level due to carelessness in its control. Sending back home to the quarantined people without PCR test has spread the infection of coronavirus on the family members.
As neighbouring India eased the lockdown order some weeks ago, a large number of people have returned home in the districts of Karnali State from the Indian cities.
The Internal Affairs and Law Ministry stated that 41,000 plus people of Karnali State returned home from India after the outbreak of coronavirus infection.
With the rise on India returnees’ number in the districts, the cases of community transfer of the virus are spotted in the same proportion.
The Social Development Ministry’s Health Service Division confirmed that 22 cases of community transfer.
COVID-19 Focal Person of State Hospital Dr KN Poudel said that further risk has surfaced as the virus spread in the community. He suggested that more precautions are needed on the part of public.
Till Wednesday, 1,307 individuals tested positive for the virus in Karnali while five lost their lives. Likewise, 560 persons were discharged from the hospitals after full recovery.
