Surge in cases with no known source of virus worries govt

Most of such patients have influenza-like illnesses, says health dept

CHANDIGARH: Even as Punjab is among a few states where the patient ratio (number of positive cases against total samples tested) comparatively is still low, the increase in number of cases where the source of infection is hidden has become a new challenge for the health department amid fear of community spread.

As per the health department data until June 12, the source of infection in 19% (570) of the total cases is unknown and they didn’t have any travel history either.

The data also shows that the number of patients with ‘unknown source’ of infection has increased in the past two weeks, during which the state witnessed a surge in the cases.

In the past week, the state registered 525 new cases of which at least 25% (130) are those where the source of infection is unclear.

Among the cases with unknown source of infection, patients who showed Influenza Like Illness (ILI) are the maximum. The number of positive cases that showed ILI on June 12 was around 225, and they are on the rise since. In the past six days only, 96 such cases surfaced in the state —18 on June 15; 12 on June 14; 9 on June 13; 35 on June 12; 16 on June 11, and 6 on June 10. Malaise, fever, shivering, dry cough

and nausea are the symptoms of ILI patients. The other big contributor to the cases with unknown source of infection was patients with severe acute respiratory infections (SARI).

CAUSE OF CONCERN

Punjab Covid-19 nodal officer Dr Rajesh Bhaskar, said the increase in cases with unknown source of infection is a worry but the figures are still low and efforts are being made to detect them at an early stage.

The number of positive cases with ILI symptoms has increased because the state is testing each and every patient reporting at the 240 flu corners set up by the health department across the state, he said.

With 110 cases, Amritsar district tops the list when it comes to patients whose source of infection in not known. Second is Jalandhar district with 69 patients, followed by Ludhiana with 60 cases till June 12.