Khanyar, adjoining areas sterilized with special chemical

Authorities Thursday carried special sterilization drive in Khanyar and adjoining localities within 300 meters after a patient was tested positive for coronavirus in Srinagar on Wednesday evening.

A special chemical, Quaternary Ammonium Chloride, recommendedby experts, was used in today’s fumigation and sterilization. The standardprocedure was adopted in the entire process, said an official.

   

Srinagar Municipal Corporation teams engaged in thisoperation were provided all necessary and precautionary equipment to ensurethey didn’t contract infection, if any.

On Wednesday evening, authorities announced that a patienthad tested positive for coronavirus in Srinagar, making it the first such casein Kashmir. The patient with travel history to Saudi Arabia had stayed coupleof days at Kochi and Delhi before taking flight to Srinagar.

Today, the special sterilization and fumigation was carriedout in view of “possibility of patient’s coming into contact with otherpeople”.

The SMC teams carried on sterilization and fumigation inresidential houses, commercial and non-commercial structures, and theirpremises. Even the vehicles parked in or outside residential and commercialstructures were brought under the process.

“All residents extended their cooperation,” said SMCSecretary Muhammad Akbar Sofi, who looked after the fumigation operation, said.

How patient was allowed to go home?

Authorities said that patient had come from Saudi Arab andwas properly screened at Srinagar Airport. However, no symptoms were found.

“The patient was not quarantined because the patient hadconcealed the travel history,” said Deputy Commissioner Srinagar, Shahid IqbalChoudhary.

“The screening of patient at the arrival stands recorded inthe CCTV camera,” he said.

Concern:

The concern for authorities is to identify and check thepersons who may have come into contact with the coronavirus positive patient atthe Srinagar Airport or at the residential house of the patient.

Even the district administration urged people to reportimmediately to nearest health facility in case they have come into contact ofthe patient tested positive.

“It’s important that people who come in contact withcoronavirus positive case(s) should immediately report to nearest healthfacility or our 24*7 control room,” tweeted Deputy Commissioner Srinagar,Shahid Iqbal Choudhary.

It may be mentioned that the coronavirus, also known asCOVID-19, spreads from affected person to another who comes in contact with theformer. It can transmit through handshake, touching the article which has beentouched by a patient. Thus it keeps transmitting from one to another if thechain of contacts remains unbroken.

Expert Advice:

If persons affected with COVID-19 don’t take precautions andearlier measures, they will contaminate others who come in their contact. “Weneed to break the chain of infection-transmission by adopting health advisoriesand taking all those precautions issued by authorities from time to time,” saidan expert.

He said that persons who have come into contact of thepatient tested positive, must report to hospital “for early initiation ofmedical treatment for their own safety and safety of their other familymembers, neighbors and others who are likely to get in their contact and getinfected.”

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

seventeen + two =