CHENNAI: Nine students in various hostels of IIT-Madras tested positive for Covid-19 on Thursday, taking the fresh cluster tally on the campus to 12 over the past three days. With this, fresh cases in Tamil Nadu touched 39 on Thursday, up from 31 on Wednesday.
Students who tested positive are now in the isolation unit of IIT in Taramani, health secretary J Radhakrishnan said. "They have a mild form of the infection. All these students have taken the vaccine. We have kept wards at the Government Corona Hospital in Guindy ready; doctors say these students don't need hospitalisation," he said. IIT-M said the situation is under control.
The first tests were conducted after a few students were diagnosed with typhoid over the past two weeks. Doctors suggested RTPCR tests for some students who reported to clinics with flu-like symptoms.
'Affected students vaccinated, have mild symptoms'
On April 19, a student with cold, fever and cough tested positive for Covid-19. The next day, results of two more students returned positive. On Wednesday, samples were drawn from 18 close contacts of the infected students, and nine of them tested positive. The infected students are from hostels Krishna, Cauvery, Mandakini, Sarayu and Bhadra.
On Thursday, officials from the state health department, GCC and doctors visited the campus. "We have asked for saturation testing. All residents and their contacts will be tested for the viral infection," the health secretary said. On Thursday, 666 samples were drawn from residents of three hostels - Mandakini, Sarayi and Badra. Some of the students who tested positive had travelled to different places, and attended closed-door events despite symptoms, officials said. "We are trying to track all close contacts," the official said.
In a statement, IIT Madras said it has brought the situation under control. "Screening of contacts of those who are Covid positive and inmates of the respective hostels is being done by the Chennai Corporation. All hostel students including those found positive are fully vaccinated and have only mild symptoms. All staff/ students and campus residents have been requested to strictly follow Covid protocols to ensure their safety," the statement said.
Radhakrishnan said everyone must continue to follow Covid appropriate behaviour, wear masks and maintain social distance. "We cannot drop our guard now. Cases are increasing in Delhi and some other parts of the country," he said.
