BMCRI lab attender who tested positive did not handle Covid-19 samples, says lab

The Virus Research and Diagnostic Laboratory (VRDL) at the Bangalore Medical College and Research Institute (BMCRI) and the Nimhans lab will open on June 29, a week after they closed because of their staff testing positive.

"The 25-year-old lab attender wasn't handling samples and it looks like a case of community transmission as her whole family has tested positive, too. She was only involved in stock verification, distributing VTMs (viral transport mediums), etc. Six technical staff are being considered her primary contacts. We closed last Saturday and the fumigation was completed in two days. But because our lab personnel are in quarantine, we have not opened yet," a microbiologist from the lab said.

Another microbiology lab on the third floor of the same building may be used for Covid-19 sample testing as it will be opened tomorrow. This lab was also shut after a lab technician had tested positive.

Dr V Ravi, HOD, Neurovirology, said: "The Nimhans Covid-19 testing lab will be opened on Monday. 18 people from the department had been quarantined after one of the lab personnel tested positive. He is fine and stable." the lab has been closed since Sunday.

Fever clinics

Sixty-six medical colleges and hospitals in Bengaluru have been instructed to set up fever clinics and charge Rs 350 for a swab test. The state government will bear the rest of the testing cost. The list has 13 private medical colleges and 51 private hospitals. The transport of samples from these clinics to testing labs will be arranged by the BBMP.

The state currently has 600 fever clinics and 1,172 swab collection centres. Currently, more than 52 government-managed fever clinics-and-cum lab collection centres are functional.

In Bengaluru, various urban primary health centres have been converted into fever clinics. This has helped in testing SARI and ILI cases.