Asymptomatic cases up fear of COVID-19’s new phase

The disclosure by state health officials that three positive cases identified on Sunday are ‘asymptomatic’ has prompted fears that the coronavirus outbreak is entering a new phase.

Patient 145 and Patient 146 had flown into KIA from Dubai on March 22. The couple, aged 68 and 62 respectively, had been quarantined at the Akash Institute of Medical Sciences near
the KIA.

The third case, Patient 151, is a 41-year-old man in Ballari who had attended the Tablighi Jamaat congregation from March 13 to 18. The Department of Health and Family Welfare has described him as ‘asymptomatic’ to date.

The first two cases were found to be positive at the end of their quarantine cycles, shortly before they were due for discharge from the institute, said Dr Kailash N, the Medical Superintendent at the institute.

Jawaid Akhtar, the Principal Secretary, Health, said that samples of the Akash institute cases had been sent for detailed analysis and that the results were expected on April 12. “Only then, will we know about the details of these cases,” he said. Akhtar added that there was one previous such asymptomatic, but positive, case in Bengaluru.

These four cases present the possibility that undiagnosed, asymptomatic individuals could further spread the disease. Akhtar said that the government is trying to scale up its testing
targets.

“We are taking swabs from all primary contacts of the positive patients and we are also testing those afflicted with Severe Acute Respiratory Illness in all hospitals and this is due to the discovery of one case. This was a man who had been admitted for a lung-related illness at a hospital and when his samples were sent for tests, the result turned out to be positive,” he said.

Health Commissioner Pankaj Pandey said virologists had informed the government of the danger of undiagnosed asymptomatic people and how they could spread the infection further.

“It is because of this that we ask people to come forward and report any symptoms. We, like the state of Kerala, are also adopting a policy to conduct rapid testing in order to catch these cases,” he said.

Bagalkot case

The development follows closely in the wake of another case in Bagalkot on April 3, a 75-year-old man who was apparently asymptomatic, but tested positive.

However, Akhtar said this case could not be clubbed with these recent asymptomatic cases, because the man had other co-morbidity issues.

“That case is being investigated and contact tracing is underway,” he said.