18 KIDS FROM MANKHURD CHILDREN’S HOME TEST +VE
MUMBAI: Eighteen children from Mankhurd Children’s Home have tested positive for Covid-19 in the past three days between August 25 and 27. The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has confirmed the development. A total of 102 children were tested for Covid-19 after one of the children, who came in contact with one of the infected staff members, tested positive on August 25.
Mankhurd Children’s Home, which houses orphans, is run by the state government.
A BMC official said, “We cannot conclude on source, but it is assumed that a staff who came in contact with one of the children passed on the infection. We tested more children to ensure timely treatment.”
After the first case was reported on August 25, two more children were tested and were found to be positive. After this, another 15 samples came out to be positive.
BMC officials said all children are admitted at Videocon Atithi Covid-19 centre and are said to be stable. Of the Covid positive children, one is aged, four are between the age of 12 and 13, five are in the age group of 14 to 15 years and six are in the age group of 16 to 17 years. Age-wise data was available of only 16 patients.
“We will conduct more tests in the coming days, if required,” said a ward official.
The incident comes two days after 26 persons, including children and staff members, tested positive for Covid at St Joseph Orphanage in Agripada area of south Mumbai. BMC plans to conduct a second fever camp at St Joseph orphanage this week.
Meanwhile, there are predictions that more children are likely to be infected in the anticipated third wave. In view of this, BMC had in June conducted a sero survey among the 1-18 years age group to gauge the prevalence of the virus among the young population.
The overall seropositivity rate was found to be 51.18%.