Schoolkids with Covid symptoms lasting more than 2 days will be tested: BBMP chief
BBMP will do genome sequencing with stress on fully vaccinated persons who have contracted Covid-19: Gaurav Gupta
BENGALURU:
BBMP Chief Commissioner Gaurav Gupta said on Wednesday that all children currently attending school and who show Covid symptoms for than 2 days will tested.
Gupta was speaking at a meeting with members of the paediatric expert committee and the technical expert committee, which discussed precautions to be taken to prevent the virus from infecting children, how to conduct Covid tests and separate bed arrangements for children.
All schools in the city must identify nodal officers who should work in coordination with the BBMP Health Officer attached to the PHC concerned. Students with symptoms persisting for more than two days must be asked not to attend school. If information on such children is provided to the PHC, a team of health officials should visit the houses of these children and conduct tests, Gupta said.
Most kids have tested negative
RT-PCR tests are being conducted on children with symptoms persisting for more than two days in hospitals, and most of them have tested negative. In this regard, BBMP will soon issue guidelines to all hospitals about conducting tests for children with symptoms persisting for more than 2 days and children who are hospitalised due to other diseases, Gupta said.
Vaccines should be administered to persons who come in contact with school-going children. This will keep everyone safe, the Chief Commissioner said. Covid infection in children is low — 7.21% in children aged 0 to 12 years and 8.21% in those aged 13 to 18 years He said children often have symptoms such as fever, common cold and cough during the infective phase but generally get cured within a week.
Sero survey
The meeting with the committee of technical experts discussed a sero survey and genome sequencing. The Chief Commissioner said that the committee requested detailed information regarding the sero survey, and the report would be released soon.
Genome sequencing has shown an increased prevalence of Delta strains. The experts’ committee had suggested continuing genome sequencing, and BBMP will carry out the exercise with a stress on samples from double-dose vaccinated persons who have subsequently been infected with Covid19, Gupta said..
Special Commissioner D Randeep, Chief Health Officer (Public Health) Dr Vijendra, Chief Health Officer (Clinical) Dr Nirmala Buggi and other officials were present.
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