Mumbai: Thirty Medical students from Seth GS Medical College (attached to KEM Hospital), Parel has been tested positive for Coronavirus, one of the biggest breakthrough groups seen in public hospitals in Mumbai since vaccination began.
Except for two, everything is fully vaccinated and most have mild or no symptoms at all, the authorities said.
Dean Dr.
Hemant Deshmukh said 23 of them were MBBS students of the second year and seven of the first years.
Thursday night 16 was treated at Sevenhills Hospital, Andheri; Their conditions are described as stable.
Students of the first and second MBBS are not treating patients and therefore it cannot have spread through contact with them.
“It’s all a breakthrough infection, which is routinely looked now, because the main role of the vaccine is not to cut the transmission but to prevent severe diseases and deaths,” said Dr.
Deshmukh.
The first student to test the positive earlier this week is from the second year, which has symptoms.
Next, 3-4 more positive.
Contact search exercises then start at the hostel.
Overall, 120 students tested, 30 became positive.
Dr.
Deshmukh said all 900 MBBS students will be tested gradually.
Those who are positive are in a hostel in three locations.
College has decided to suspend the physical class and return to online teaching.
Dr.
Velhal Law, Preventive Social Medical Wing Head Assigned to Contact Search on campus, said they tried to find a source of infection for the index case.
“While the Covid protocol is strictly followed in classrooms, there is no control over their lives during the post-college hours,” he said.
At the beginning of the day, Mayor Kishori Pednekar said infection might have spread on a cultural or sports on campus.
However, the authorities said there were no events that occurred recently.
The second year students have a exam two weeks ago.
Some do dancing exercises and drama for their upcoming college celebrations, Aavishkaar.
Dr.
Deshmukh said the college conducted a 400-450 test every day, where one or two breakthrough infections are routinely seen in health workers.
Previously, BMC had followed up on 20KH who was vaccinated Mumbaikars and found nearly 7,057 (0.35%) got Covid.