Assam is worried about “asymptomatic” Covid-19 patients despite making progress in tackling several positive cases.

Though the state has not recorded any fresh cases since Thursday, the possibility of asymptomatic patients at large has been giving sleepless nights to the state government.

The state has 35 Covid-19 positive cases so far, of whom 19 have been discharged and one died. The state has 15 active cases.

The mounting evidence of increasing asymptomatic or mildly symptomatic infections across the country has sparked concern among state governments and health agencies. Several states where coronavirus cases were on the rise, the majority of cases were found to be asymptomatic, with no symptoms like fever, cough or respiratory problems.

Assam’s health minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said, “These asymptomatic silent carriers are a major concern. In many cases, due to the strong immunity system of the infected person, the symptoms don’t appear. Such a person may not be aware of the fact that they were infected and may easily infect others. That’s why we are launching the random swab test of 150 persons in Dhubri district to check whether any such person is at large in the area.”

Recently, the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) said that 80 per cent of Covid-19 cases remain asymptomatic. Experts believe that identifying such patients is a difficult task without largescale testing. Of the 53 journalists who tested positive in Mumbai on Monday, as many as 50 had displayed zero symptoms.

The Assam government has already sounded a high alert in two districts of the state bordering Bengal, Dhubri and Kokrajhar, following the rise of positive cases in the neighbouring state. Dhubri has five out of the total of 35 cases in the state.

The health minister also added that at least three positive cases from Dhubri have been showing progress and had tested negative. “If everything goes well, then we may discharge eight to nine more patients within the next week,” Sarma added.

The minister visited both the districts on Saturday to assess the ground situation.

Kota students

Over 390 students from Assam, who were stranded in India’s coaching hub Kota in Rajasthan, will arrive at Srirampur checkgate across Assam-West Bengal border by Sunday.

Sarma said, “On their arrival, each of them will be firstly screened at Srirampur entry gate and then sent to Sarusajai quarantine centre in Guwahati.

“Although they were quarantined in Kota, as they are travelling now and will be passing through several states, they might contract the infection. Before entry in Assam, health examination on all of them will be conducted properly and only those who have no symptoms will be sent to Sarusajai. Others will be kept at Srirampur quarantine centre till further orders,” said Sarma.

The government is constructing two big quarantine centres having with a capacity of 1,000 persons at Chagolia of Dhubri district and Srirampur in Kokrajhar district for those who enter Assam on or after the withdrawal of nationwide lockdown, said Sarma.

“As Dhubri district has already detected five positive cases of Covid-19, special surveillance activities would also be conducted in Dhubri district and accordingly, the health department has decided to conduct the random tests of swab samples of 150 peoples residing in the containment zones of Dhubri district on Sunday,” Sarma said in Dhubri on Saturday.

Sarma clarified that it will not be rapid testing, but based on swab collection. The swabs from Dhubri will be tested at Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed Medical College and Hospital in Barpeta.

No relaxation: Sarma clarified that the state government would not implement the Centre’s order on opening of shops for the next two days and the nationwide lockdown would be continue to be in force. “On April 27, a video conference will be held between the Prime Minister and chief ministers of all states. Only after that the state cabinet will be decided on it,” said Sarma.

In Kokrajhar, Sarma visited the SAI complex and checked the preparation of the quarantine centre where people from Assam stranded outside the state will be housed. Sarma said over five lakh Assam residents are stranded outside the state and even if 25 per cent of them came back, it will be around 1.5 lakh people. He said these people would be medically examined at entry points from Bengal and quarantined if needed.

Additional reporting by Mukesh Kumar Singh in Dhubri and Rinoy Basumatary in Kokrajhar