Covid First Line Treatment Centre
Covid First Line Treatment Centre

Genetic study on COVID-19 patients to be done across Kerala

More Covid First Line Treatment Centres will be built across the state and the Covid Brigade of health workers will be enhanced.

A genetic study of COVID-19 patients was recently conducted in the northern districts of Kerala in collaboration with the Institute of Genomics and Integrated Biology under CSIR (Council of Scientific & Industrial Research). The study will be extended towards the rest of the state, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said.

The rate of the spread of the coronavirus was very high, according to experts. “The elderly should especially be more cautious as they are more susceptible to the virus and this will in turn increase the number of deaths due to the disease. The Break the Chain campaign (to ensure physical distancing, sanitization of hands and wearing masks) should be made more stringent and efficient. So far the public transport buses had been fewer and all establishments had not been open. Now with more buses and shops opening, there will be more people on the road and there will likely be an increase in the number of COVID-19 cases in the state,” the CM warned.

On Monday, the state reported 2,540 new cases and 2,110 recoveries. Fifteen people with COVID-19 have also died. There are now 39,486 active cases in the state.

More Covid First Line Treatment Centres (CFLTCs) are being planned in the state to meet the increased number of patients. These are meant for asymptomatic patients and those with mild symptoms.  They will be provided free food and accommodation and the direct supervision of a physician. Specialists will be available on telemedicine. As of now only half the facility is used across the state.

“At present, 194 CFLTCs with 26,425 beds are operational with 50% occupancy. A total of 1,21,055 beds will be set up in 1,391 CFLTCs across the state in different phases,” said the CM.

Another measure to control the spread is to expand the Covid Brigade formed by the state to support the functioning of CFLTCs.  

The Covid Brigade includes doctors, nurses, pharmacists, laboratory technicians and other health workers who will primarily be serving districts where there is a shortage of health workers. They have been active in Kasargod, with the first brigade group consisting of 26 people, including six doctors.

As of Monday, 13,577 medical professionals have registered as volunteers for the Covid Brigade. The CM requested more people to join the force since the cases were increasing. Those who are interested can register online on the Covid Jagratha Portal.

Watch: Earlier report on Kerala opening FLTCs

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