7,400 need to be traced after 74 confirmed cases

India must trace and track

7,400 people for the 74 confirmed coronavirus cases that have tested positive.

(20 others are awaiting confirmation.)

Experts calculate a contact tracing ratio of one positive to 100. But if anyone was at a mass gathering, a cinema hall, a marriage, or a commercial and religious event, then 1,000 will have to be traced to prevent a widespread transmission.

With a lockdown, each must be traced and checked. This was necessary as those arriving from abroad tested positive for Covid-19. One

Covid-19 positive patient can spread to three people.

“Contact transmission” means that those who came from the 124 Covid19 affected countries carried the virus and those in India whom they came in touch with are ‘suspects’ for the transmission.

These include those met during travel, at home, their friends, office colleagues, vendors, etc. “We do a detailed detective-like investigation where each detail of the routine has to be gathered and traced,” a health official said. “Since these are educated and affluent people the phone numbers are available and tracing is easy. Each has to report to the health department daily through telecommunication. If they develop symptoms they must go to government hospital for checking.”

Due to the coronavirus scare, those who went abroad have self-reported. People have cooperated. In Telangana there were issues about visiting Gandhi Hospital and demanding private hospitals for check-ups and isolation.

Hyderabad: A nurse in the emergency ward of a private hospital in the city, who had come in contact with the 76year-old patient from Gulbarga who tested positive for

Covid-19, and died on Thursday, has been put on isolation.

Mohammad Hussein Siddiqui, the 76-year-old, was kept in emergency room, which was separated from others.

Telangana health officials visited the private hospital and counselled the nurse to practice self-isolation. They have asked the hospital to check on her daily. She has now been listed as a Covid-19 suspect but does not have symptoms currently.