KOZHIKODE: The health minister K.K. Shylaja has announced that the dreaded Nipah, which claimed 17 lives here, was entirely under control and there’s no need to worry. Still, the alert will continue this month. Speaking after an all-party meeting held here on Sunday, she said the state would honour all the health workers who fought in unison against the virus at a function here.
Eighteen people had tested positive for the virus, and 16 of them died. This excludes the death of the index case, Mohammad Sabith, whose samples were not collected. All other 317 cases tested were negative. The contact list of 2,649 has reduced to 1,219 after the incubation period, and 1,430 persons are on the list now.
It should be cut short to 892 after Tuesday when schools open. “Of the two positive cases who recovered, the nursing student will leave the hospital on Monday and the Malappuram native on June 14,” she said. Though there is no high alert situation, there is a caution to take care until June 30.
The Institute of Chest Diseases (ICD) at Kozhikode Medical College Hospital is under consideration for a permanent isolation ward. Virology lab will be set up in Kozhikode, and the one Alappuzha revived. A virology research centre is also coming up in the state capital. The all-party meeting lauded the health department for all its efforts in containing the virus. District-in-charge minister T.P. Ramakrishnan, transport minister A.K Saseendran, corporation mayor Thottathil Raveendran, elected representatives and others took part.
