Nipah virus update: Schools, colleges shut in Kozhikode till Sept 17

The Kerala Health Department issued a health alert after two 'unnatural' deaths because of fever were reported at a private hospital in the Kozhikode district amid rising cases of Nipah virus

In light of the new Nipah virus outbreak in Kozhikode, the district collector has declared a holiday for every educational foundation, including professional universities, for Thursday and Friday. The date was later extended till Saturday, September 16. In spite of this, the university exam schedule stays unchanged.

Kerala’s Education Minister, V Sivankutty asked schools to change to online classes because of the sensitive health situation in the district. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has held a review meeting regarding the matter. The meeting resulted in the authority declaring to prohibit public gatherings until September 24. The communiqué said the events that are absolutely necessary, like weddings, should conclude with small gatherings now.

Nipah virus in Kozhikode: Insights 

A sum of 58 wards in Kozhikode have been assigned as containment zones. The district administration has uncovered the travel history of the two casualties of the sickness, aged 47 and 40.

Two experts from ICMR in Chennai showed up in the area recently. An additional team of experts from NIV in Pune is supposed to show up in Kozhikode on Thursday. Their goal is to lay out a BSL Level 3 lab to sample testing inside the district.

As per the government's official statement, the ongoing kind of Nipah infection seen in Kerala is the Bangladesh variant that spreads from one human to another and has a high mortality rate, however, it is less infectious.

Schools shut in Kozhikode

The holidays of the year have been announced for every educational institution, including tuition centres, anganwadis, madrasas, and professional colleges in Kozhikode regions, as a feature of precautionary steps following the Nipah virus outbreak.

The authorities had earlier declared Thursday and Friday (September 14 and 15) as holidays, later extending it to Saturday. The university and Public Service Commission (PSC) exam schedules will, however, stay the same. The government has asked educational institutions to organize online classes.  

What do officials have to say about the Nipah virus?

The state government raised its concern after Kerala revealed the fifth instance of Nipah infection on Wednesday. A 24-year-old health worker turned into the state's fifth final Nipah case on Wednesday. The 24-hour control room was likewise set up in the neighbouring region of Wayanad after the infection outbreak in Kozhikode.

To prevent further increase in cases, the Wayanad district administration additionally constituted 15 committees to lead the prevention and surveillance exercises and actually manage crisis circumstances.

Monoclonal antibodies are the only antiviral treatment for Nipah virus infection that is available. Nonetheless, their utilisation in the treatment for infection has not been clinically demonstrated at this point. To treat the child, ICMR has ordered the monoclonal antibodies.