State preps to combat new Covid variant
Source: Chronicle News Service
Imphal, December 20 2023:
Though there is no active case of Covid-19, the state government has taken up precautionary measures to check spread of the new Covid-19 variant JN.
1, cases of which have been reported in Kerala state.
Speaking to this daily, IDSP state epidemiologist Dr Bharati Meitram informed that the state is prepared to meet any case of the new Covid-19 variant.
Altogether, 572 people were tested in the last few days for Covid-19 out of which only one was confirmed to be positive.
The person has recovered now.
However, testing for Covid-19 is still going on at present, Dr Bharati informed, adding that all the states were instructed to conduct mock drill from December 13 to 17 to face any emergency situation in future.
Following the instruction of the health ministry, mock drills were also conducted in all the health facilities of the state to review preparedness of any health emergency in the near future.
The infrastructure, isolation facilities, HR, ventilators and oxygen facilities were checked and monitored and report of said exercise sent to the ministry.
In addition to conducting Covid-19 tests, other respiratory pathogen tests will also be carried out if any case of Influenza Like Illness (ILI) and Severe Acute Respiratory Illness (SARI) is reported in any of the health facilities in the state, she said while adding state surveillance officer has instructed all health facilities to conduct genome sequencing of Covid-19 positives cases to identify the variant.
Meanwhile, a high level virtual review meeting was conducted on Wednesday chaired by Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya and attended by health ministers of states and health officials of state and union territories.
Manipur health minister, health director, NHM State Mission Director, JNIMS director and medical superintendent, state surveillance officer and officials of IDSP took part in the virtual meeting.
During a function held at JNIMS on Wednesday, health minister Dr Sapam Ranjan said that during the virtual meeting, the issue of the Covid-19 variant JN.
1 which was reported in Kerala was discussed.
It also discussed on how to tackle the situation if the new variant is reported in other states.