20 beds set up at old Jayadeva Block; RT-PCR tests conducted to rule out suspicion

Mysore/Mysuru: Even as China’s virus cases are rising, climbing to near their highest of the pandemic, the Health Department and the authorities of Mysore Medical College and Research Institute (MMC&RI) have geared up to face any eventuality and are on high alert.

As part of the stepping up of the infrastructure to handle a possible outbreak, a Fever Clinic has been opened at the old Jayadeva Block in K.R. Hospital premises to facilitate the early discovery of infections. This strategy was also adopted during the first wave of the pandemic where several such clinics were opened across the city and district.

Henceforth, all fever cases will be attended only in the Fever Clinic and all cases with COVID-19-like symptoms would be screened. Out Patient Department (OPD) slips are issued at the Clinic instead of the main OPD and doctors will decide whether patients, if tested positive, would need to be isolated at home or need hospitalisation based on their condition.

As of now, 20 beds have been provided at the Fever Clinic and only severe cases are being treated here with oxygen support. MMC&RI Director and Dean Dr. K.R. Dakshayani visited the clinic yesterday and took stock of the situation.

Speaking to reporters, she said that the Fever Clinic has been established as per the guidelines issued by the State Government and enough care has been taken to prevent the mixing up of patients having fever, cough and cold with the other patients and relatives who come to the K.R. Hospital.

“We have 20 beds now and we will increase the bed capacity if there is a need. Since the last three days, we have tested 50 to 60 patients and not a single COVID-positive case has been detected. Even the Genome Sequencing Laboratory at the K.R. Hospital premises has not found the new sub-variant of Omicron in the samples that were sent to it for sequencing,” she said.

Over 650 COVID-positive samples were sent to the lab for genome sequencing in the last nine months after the lab was set up and none of them was found to have the BF7 Omicron sub-variant variant that is causing havoc in China. All genome sequencing reports have been sent to New Delhi as per the directions, she added. Asking people not to panic in case they catch the fever, Dr. Dakshayani said that as this is flu season, the symptoms of COVID and flu are similar. “At the Fever Clinic only RT-PCR tests are done on the patients to eliminate doubts and we do not want to take the risk,” she said.