As the brand new week sets in, every child in Karnataka is confronted with two key questions:
Am I safe inside the premises of this school?
When is it going to be the weekend again?
While the second question at least has an answer, the first has surely left the authorities at their wit's end. However, some students are clear.
Multiple COVID-19 Clusters at Educational Institutions Across Karnataka
“While I do love weekends, I prefer classroom teaching to online. I enjoy the experience all the more now after the lockdown. When we take complete precaution, I don’t think it is necessary to fear. I agree it’s your life and you are responsible. But you can start with educating your circle of friends on the need to follow protocol. Let’s spread awareness because COVID will not go anytime soon,” said Virginia Arivu, a journalism student in Bengaluru.
As of 27 November, Dharwad’s SDM College has seen 281 students and faculty being tested positive. The institution has turned into a COVID-spreader venue with six patients reported to be symptomatic. During the same time, two COVID-19 clusters were detected in Bengaluru. Twelve students of Spurthy College in Marasur on the outskirts of the city and 33 students along with a staffer tested positive at an international school in Whitefield.
Rigorous testing of every student is taking place. According to authorities, 350 students of Spurthy College were tested on 26 November and 497 students of the international school.
“Guidelines have been set in place,” GA Srinivas, Bengaluru Urban District Health Officer, said. A nodal officer shall be designated, and 24/7 medical supervision shall be ensured, he added.
What Led to the COVID-19 Outbreak at Dharwad Medical College?
The fact that most of the students who got infected were fully vaccinated, also suggests that there is an immune escape phenomenon, and the virus could have escaped the immunity produced by the vaccines. The silver lining in this episode is that in most people, the disease was mild or asymptomatic.Said Dr Sudarshan Ballal, Chairman, Manipal Hospitals.
According to the health ministry, Karnataka has achieved 90 percent vaccination when it comes to the first dose and 57 per cent with respect to the second dose.
“We need to be prepared. As it is, people are hesitating to get vaccinated, all thanks to those baseless rumours doing the rounds. In fact, these clusters raise the necessity for booster vaccines as well,” said Ameen Mudassir, a health volunteer who founded COVID-19 Helpline Bengaluru.
While the travel of two students to Kerala is suspected to have caused the outbreak at the medical college in Bengaluru, fingers point to a students’ programme held at the college campus in Dharwad.
“In fact, breeding of infection takes place outside and not inside the premises of educational institutions. SOPs are always in place. These students throw caution to the wind. Either they are out at malls and markets, which are outside behavioural zones, or they are seated inside tuition classes with 50-100 of them jammed inside a room,” said D Shashi Kumar, general secretary, Associated Management of Primary and Secondary Schools in Karnataka (KAMS).
'Genomic Analysis of These Cases Is Very Essential'
This comes at a time when parts of the world like South Africa, Hong Kong, and Botswana are battling the deadly new variant – Omicron. The Karnataka government released a circular on 27 November stating that international arrivals from the three countries will have to undergo COVID-19 testing, and those who test positive will be placed under 10-day institutional isolation.
Dr Ballal stressed a genomic analysis on priority.
"A new strain of the virus B 1.1.529 has been detected in South Africa and a few other countries. The large number of mutations in the spike protein could potentially be more infectious and escape the immune effects of the vaccine. That’s exactly why this is also a matter of grave concern, and it is very essential to do a genomic analysis of these cases to further define the virus."Dr Ballal explained
“The samples of those tested positive have been sent to the concerned INSACOG recognised laboratory for Whole Genome Sequencing (WGS), and the results are expected on 1 December,” said Dharwad DHO Dr Yashwanth A Madinkar.
Health workers and health ministers, too, believe that a certain level of complacency has set in, especially among people who have been vaccinated.
“That’s the reason why travel has become normal,” said Ameen, adding that these COVID clusters are indicators of an "it’s okay" attitude that has set in. “COVID has not gone,” stressed health minister K Sudhakar. “It is evident that people have taken it lightly. Let us be more responsible and vigilant,” added the minister.
Do We Want Another COVID-19 Wave To 'School' Us Again?
While Karnataka has seen three clusters, single clusters each in Tamil Nadu and Telangana have set alarm bells ringing.
Three female students and two male students studying in Class 12 of Poondi Government Higher Secondary School of Tamil Nadu’s Thiruvallur district tested positive recently. The Mahindra University campus, on Hyderabad's outskirts, saw 30 persons infected with COVID-19 on 27 November. On 23 November, 29 students of a government-run residential school in Telangana’s Khammam district tested positive.
“If you stand outside a bar and decide to test people, I’m sure you’ll find 29 odd people testing positive. Nobody is responsible. I know a case where a family sent a child to school when the mother was COVID positive and sitting at home,” said Dr Ashish Chauhan of Apollo Hospitals in Hyderabad, adding that the only way out of this mess is appropriate COVID-19 behaviour with masks, sanitisers, and social distancing at every place and event.
Schools must ensure there is a mobile vehicle stationed at the premises to immediately help transport any student who exhibits COVID-19 symptoms, said Tamil Nadu health secretary J Radhakrishnan.
“Thermal testing must be done before the students enter the classroom. Students must not be allowed to sit close to each other, even during lunchtime. If anyone tests positive, all other students, including those in the hostel, must be placed under quarantine for five days,” he added, elaborating on the SOPs that need to be in place when it comes to educational institutions.
After the first two waves that ravaged India, have we learnt our lesson? Or do we want another wave to 'school' us the hard way, again?
(Pratiba Raman is a senior journalist based in Bengaluru.)
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