Harshini Brahmavar

Daijiworld Media Network - Udupi (SP)

Udupi, May 30: Three coronavirus positive cases here were tested negative during the second tests. Could this be a goof up by the laboratory or technical glitch? Difficult to say.

The recent upswing in the number of coronavirus cases in the district has made people panicky. Indecisive and confusing orders of the government have only contributed to confound the apprehension of the people. On the other hand, positive cases are turning negative very fast.

The district administration, health department, ASHA workers and police department have been very busy chasing primary and secondary infection suspects. This is in addition to the ones already quarantined. In the recent development, six persons had displayed symptoms of coronavirus even though they did not have any contact with infected persons.

A 17-year-old girl from Chitradurga had got admitted into KMC Hospital Manipal for cancer treatment on May 16. On May 19, she tested positive for coronavirus. The test was conducted at Wenlock Hospital Mangaluru. Later, two tests conducted at KMC laboratory within a gap of 24 hours gave negative results. Therefore, the girl was treated for cancer, by treating her as not a coronavirus patient.

In another case, a woman from Karkala who was in the final stages of her pregnancy, was found infected even though she had no contact with suspects, on May 24. Many including her family members were quarantined. The district administration could not find the source of infection. Her throat swab samples were sent for testing and the report received on May 29 was negative.

In one more case, a 30-year-old employee of Swachha Bharat Mission of zilla panchayat displayed symptoms of the disease on May 17. He was subjected to throat swab test at Wenlock laboratory on May 18 and his result received on May 24 gave positive result. He was looked after in isolation ward thereafter. In the test conducted on May 29, his report was negative.

Because of positive results, salons in Kaup and Katapady were closed and throat swabs of nine of his family members were tested. As a precaution, the entire Moodbabettu village in Kaup taluk was declared as containment zone. The zilla panchayat office was given a day's holiday.

The pregnant woman and zilla panchayat staff have since been discharged. But because of the mistakes like the above, efforts put in by health and police departments went waste.

Many had earlier expressed doubts about the accuracy of tests conducted at Wenlock Hospital Mangaluru. In case where the three cases from Udupi district where positives turned negative, tests were conducted in that laboratory. As there is always a sense of worry about wrong reports being generated, the district administration needs to handle this matter diligently.

On a query about people testing negative in second swab tests, Udupi deputy commissioner G Jagadeesha on Saturday said that they were taking second opinion to clear doubts. “We cannot say it is the mistake of the lab. Once we get negative result in second test, we will follow government rules accordingly. We have conducted test of quarantined persons before releasing them from the center. If they get any symptoms during home quarantine, they should report it to the health department first,” he said.