With Kerala reporting three confirmed cases of Coronavirus, the health authorities in Kodagu have stepped up surveillance and asked the coffee planters not to send their workers to Kerala or bring new workers to their plantations from the neighbouring State until February 15 as a precautionary measure.
Kodagu shares its border with Kerala and workers are often brought for work in the estates during the coffee harvesting season.
Kodagu District Health Officer K. Mohan, however, clarified that there is no need to panic as the district administration and the Department of Health and Family Welfare had taken adequate precautionary measures following the virus scare. So far, there have been no suspected cases in the district.
He said extreme caution was necessary since the virus spreads from the infected person to a healthy person and therefore the public needs to be watchful against those suffering from excessive cold, cough, fever, breathing difficulties, dysentery as they were the symptoms of the disease.
The health authorities have urged the public to use mask or cloth to cover their nose or mouth while sneezing or coughing in public places. It is better to wash hands with soap for personal hygiene and use triple-layered mask in public places.
If people face difficulty in breathing, they should immediately consult doctors. Importantly, meat should be consumed after thorough cooking. There is no definite treatment for the disease but treatment has to be taken based on the symptoms, they said.
Meanwhile, a Kodagu district-level Task Force on Novel Coronavirus had been constituted and is headed by the District Surveillance Officer. Likewise, in the taluks, the taluk medical officers will head the task forces. They will take steps against the spread of the disease besides putting in place all necessary preventive mechanisms.
The district task force comprises the Surveillance Officer (9449843263), an Entomologist (9480730364), Health Supervisor, Senior Health Assistant, representative from the District IEC Division, and lab technician from Department of Health and Family Welfare.
In complying with the guidelines for the treatment of novel Coronavirus patients, a special ward with five beds had been established at the district hospital in Madikeri for the treatment of patients. In Virajpet and Somwarpet, two beds had been set aside for the patients in the taluk hospitals.
Dr. Mohan appealed to the public not to get perturbed over the forwards in social media and urged them to take necessary precautions as suggested by the department.
