It's
a false alarm : CM
Sandesh Prabhudesai
17 April 2003
The first SARS victim tested positive in Goa is cured for
all practical purposes, but 'yet to be fully confirmed', said
Goa chief minister Manohar Parrikar today evening.
The Goa Medical College has thus decided to send samples
of blood, serum, throat swab and urine once again for laboratory
testing, but this time to the National Institute of Communicable
Diseases in Delhi.
At a second crowded press conference held in the GMC complex
in the evening, Parrikar categorically said that the case
appears to be a 'false alarm'.
"There is a mismatch between the clinical findings and
the laboratory findings, and to the best of our knowledge,
as at present, no other person has been infected. It is therefore
not possible to say with full certainty that the patient has
SARS", stated the official communique released at the
press conference.
According to the chief minister, the SARS victim has already
passed incubation period of seven to 10 days while he appears
to be hale and hearty. Secondly, his wife, who had been to
Hong Kong and Singapore with him, has not been showing any
signs of SARS.
Parrikar also reiterated that two of the three criteria specified
by the WHO were found negative, as he had no fever above 100
degree F, no cough and no breathlessness. However, as a precaution,
the victim has been admitted at the GMC's specially created
isolated ward, with his wife accompanying him.
The victim's parents and common friends who met him after
he arrived in Goa on 1 April have also been persuaded to remain
isolated. Similarly, specially designated doctors and staff
have also been wearing masks throughout, the surrounding areas
have been disinfected and the entire area is being cordoned
off.
Though Parrikar does not rule out the possibility of the
victim suffering with a milder version of SARS, he claims
that he definitely does not fall in the category of spreader
or super spreader.
While suspecting it to be a 'false positive' case, health
minister Dr Suresh Amonkar states that it could be considered
a test case for clinical findings to examine whether Indians
are immune to SARS virus. "In that case, it will a good
news for India", he adds.
While releasing the official version of what exactly happened,
the state government stated that the victim was seen by a
private doctor on 9 April after he developed fever the earlier
day, almost eight days after he arrived in Goa from his foreign
trip.
He was then referred to the GMC on 10 April, was examined
in the isolation ward, and was then discharged on 12 April,
after collecting sample of his blood, serum, throat swab and
urine.
The press release also stated that the government consciously
decided to release the name of the patient in public interest,
so that any one who has come in contact with him should be
alert and immediately approach the medical authorities should
they detect any SARS symptoms.
"It is not a case like AIDS where his identity remains
to be kept secret. It is a Flu that spreads at the rate of
1:10,000 and fully blown up cases are only three per cent",
claimed the chief minister.
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