Daily COVID-19 cases in Kerala’s Ernakulam likely to shoot up by February, says Health department

No cluster reported in Ernakulam so far

Ernakulam is yet to report a COVID-19 cluster as on Saturday, even as the Health Department has estimated that the daily number of cases may be around 10,000 by the first week of February going by the latest wave.

The daily count was 3,193 on Friday. It was 2,381 and 2,214 on Thursday and Wednesday respectively. The Health authorities said the current surge was definitely showing signs of a third wave, and that utmost care needed to be taken by all to check the spread of the disease.

Going by the rapid rise in daily cases, the number of cases is expected to reach around 10,000 a day by the first week of February, according to official estimates.

On whether the Omicron variant is responsible for the spike, Dr. Sajith John, District Programme Manager, National Health Mission, said it could be ascertained only through genome sequencing reports, which are key to identifying the Omicron variant. “There is a delay in getting genome sequencing reports. It is now taking at least seven to eight days,” he added.

Meanwhile, the Health department has reiterated its strategy of admitting only those with co-morbidities to hospitals, to ensure that there is no shortage of beds in case of an emergency. Dr. John said people with mild symptoms are advised home isolation. “The hospitalisation rate has not gone up compared to the second wave. The symptoms of those undergoing home isolation are disappearing in two days,” he said.

Those in need of hospitalisation are being admitted to the Government Medical College, Kalamassery, and the COVID-19 centres at Ambalamugal and the Government Taluk Hospital at Aluva.

Private hospitals have agreed to earmark around 700 beds. Sources said there was no shortage of drugs in Ernakulam. “There is no shortage of drugs for monoclonal antibody therapy. But care has been taken to use it only after proper evaluation,” they added.

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