7 more samples of people in isolation (for possible cases of Nipah virus) at Kozhikode Medical College turned negative today, Kerala health minister Veena George said on Thursday.
A total of 68 samples have tested negative said Veena George adding house-to-house survey was conducted in Chathamangalam and no unnatural fever or death has been reported.
Test results of 68 people who had come in close contact with the 12-year-old child who succumbed to Nipah have been negative till now for the virus infection.
As of Wednesday evening the total number of people who tested negative was 46. Till yesterday, trained volunteers inspected 4,995 homes in the areas under containment and 27,536 people were examined, of whom 44 were found to have mild fever-like symptoms.
The minister had yesterday directed the local authorities to ensure that those in Nipah-related isolation get the food kits and that each of the 265 people in the contact list has one volunteer each to help them. She also advised people against eating fruits that fall from trees and said that fruits purchased from the market should be properly cleaned before use or consumption.
Besides this, she said that a team of experts from the Pune Virology Institute has reached the district and would soon start testing samples.
Mobile labs would be set up to check those who display fever-like symptoms during the home visits, she said and added that those with fever or flu-like symptoms should not take the COVID vaccine without the advice of a health professional.
On the other hand, 26,200 new COVID-19 cases were found today while 29,209 recoveries and 114 deaths were reported. A total of 1,56,957 samples were tested in last 24 hours and Total Positivity Rate stands at 16.69%. Active cases at 2,36,345, death toll 22,126.
