Sixty-six MBBS students at a medical college in Dharwad have tested positive for the coronavirus. According to district officials, there are 400 students who study at the SDM Medical College in Dharwad, which is a residential college. So far, 300 students have been tested, and further testing for the rest of the students is underway, according to District Collector Nitesh Patil. There are also about 3,000 staff members who will also be tested, the official said.
The Collector further added that quarantine facilities for all the students who tested positive have been arranged at the college hostel. “The hostel has been sealed. Arrangements have been made to provide food and health facilities to them. They will get all these things inside the hostel, so none of those who tested positive will leave the building,” he said. Those whose results are awaited have also been shifted to the quarantine facility, he said.
The Collector also said that the disease is contained to the college. “We will make sure the disease does not spread further,” he said. The official added that the COVID-19 infection likely spread due to an event that was conducted by the students some days ago. The district officials will also begin testing the primary and secondary contacts of the infected students.
According to District Collector Patil, all the students at the SDM Medical College have been vaccinated with both doses of the COVID-19 vaccine. “A few of the positive students are showing symptoms, but none of them are severe. All the medical departments at the college are also monitoring their condition. A few have coughs and fever, but many are asymptomatic,” he said.
“Most of the faculty are also vaccinated. If any of them have not taken the vaccine, we will ensure that they are inoculated today,” he added.
The Karnataka government had announced in June this year that all health and medical education institutes, including dental, AYUSH, nursing and allied healthcare colleges, would reopen for students and staff who had taken at least one dose of the vaccine.