Passengers arriving at the Mysuru airport will undergo thermal screening for the detection of COVID-19. A team of doctors and nursing staff will be deployed for the purpose. Six thermal scanners had been procured for the purpose.
Though thermal screening was essential for passengers returning from abroad, the authorities here were extra-vigilant and procured the scanners to identify if anybody was having high temperature, one of the symptoms of COVID-19. Domestic passengers’ travel history on whether they had been to any COVID-19 affected country would also be examined during the screening.
Though screening was underway since many days after the scare surfaced, the health teams used to do it with the conventional methods using thermometers. Besides the team from the Health Department, a health team from the airport has also been deployed for the screening of passengers.
Mysore Medical College and Research Institute (MMCRI) Director and Dean C.P. Nanjaraj said any suspected case with symptoms of COVID-19 would be referred to the isolation ward for further tests at the K.R. Hospital. The thermal screening will commence from Thursday.
Dr. Nanjaraj said six more thermal scanners had been sought under the National Urban Health Mission (NUHM).
Meanwhile, there has been a short supply of masks in hospitals, including the State-run hospitals, and a request had been sent to the authorities in Bengaluru for the supply of masks and other protective gear.
K.R. Hospital has around 100 N-95 masks and sufficient stock of surgical masks. These masks are required for those handling the isolation ward and the people quarantined with symptoms. So far, there have been no suspected cases referred to the ward here.
The MMCRI Dean said masks are being stitched for the staff looking after the cleaning and hygiene of the hospital. The stitched masks with three layers are being given to these staff and the nursing and paramedics are using the surgical masks.
Alternative
With the huge scarcity of surgical masks in the city, pollution masks are now being sold as an alternatives. They are available in most medical stores.
If the surgical masks are available in some stores, they are overpriced and also substandard as the demand has spurred production of poor quality masks.
