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Locals Panicked over a Spike in Covid-19 Cases at Curtorim and Raia

Covid-19 is spreading fast across the state with many more villages in Goa coming under the influence of the virus. Most of the villages that

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Covid-19 is spreading fast across the state with many more villages in Goa coming under the influence of the virus. Most of the villages that earlier remained immune to the virus have now become the targets of it due to the connection of villagers with virus-infected areas. 

Most of the spread of Covid-19 was done from the first containment zone of Goa the famous Mangor Hill. Now two villages situated in south Goa, Raia and Curtorim has become the target of Covid-19 spread. 

According to the reports, the random testing of people from Raia and Curtorim has led to expose the multiple positive cases of Covid-19. The sudden spike in the infection has created a panic amongst the villagers. 

According to the sources, total number of cases rose to 8 in Curtorim while in the neighbouring village of Raia the tally has touched to 6 with four more from Manora ward testing positive on Thursday. 

According to the sources in the health department, a wife and two kids of a doctor from Curtorim village, who contracted the virus, has been tested positive. However, tests of all 50 swab samples taken during the contact tracing exercise on Wednesday returned negative. Fifty-six more samples were drawn on Thursday. 

“Many people keep coming in at the primary health centre stating that they had visited the doctor a few days ago. We do the tests of all these people as well,” a health official said. 

The detection of the first case began from Manora Ward in Raia on Wednesday and subsequently four more family members of the infected person also tested positive on Thursday. 

The Sources said that the index patient in this case had comorbidities and showed some mild symptoms. However, all four of his family members, who tested positive on Thursday, are asymptomatic and have been shifted to a Covid-19 care centre.  

The index patient at Manora has no apparent travel history sources said. Medical teams are trying to establish some link to derive the source of his infection, the sources added. 

The medical team is doing more random checks in the neighbourhood to check the possibility of any cluster outbreak. With regards to the first case detected at Raia, all the swab samples taken during the contact tracing have tested negative.    

The medical experts sounded wary about the situation and advised stronger surveillance in the affected areas, as the first test turning negative could give a false sense of assurance. They have suggested a repeat test on day 5 and day 14 after the day of exposure to rule out infection. 

Meanwhile, looking at the spike in cases at Curtoim a significant number of people from the neighbouring village of Lotoulim have turned up at the PHC to voluntarily to undergo covid tests.  

Medical experts feel that panic testing could only lead to exerting undue pressure on the testing centre. They are of the view that only those who came in close contact with the infected person for a prolonged time should be encouraged to go in for testing.  

The fear psychosis has adversely affected agriculture operations in the two villages with farmers facing a labour shortage. “This is the time of transplantation of paddy. However, locals are gripped with panic and they are reluctant to venture into the fields,” Santan Rodrigues, a former Zilla panchayat member and panchayat rights activist from Curtorim said.

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