With reports of four medical students testing Covid-19 positive today, the novel coronavirus infection spread again in a medical college and hospital after a gap of around four months since February when there had been a steady decline in the number of affected cases in Bengal.

Four students of the Medical College Hospital (MCH) hostel, who were tested Covid-19 positive were taken to the Infectious Disease (ID) Hospital at Beliaghata today with moderate symptoms.

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Several other students, who have shown COVID symptoms of fever, cough and cold and had come in contact with the four affected students, have been quarantined, sources at the MCH said.

Dr Siddhartha Niogy, acting director of health services (DHS), confirming the news said that the four students of the MCH were tested COVID positive while other suspects at the hostel have been advised to go for quarantine.

“It’s true that there has been a steep increase in number of COVID positive cases in some areas in Kolkata and other districts but few of them are getting hospitalized,” Dr Niogy said.

“We have not yet explored how many of the positive cases have recent travel history to either COVID-affected states outside Bengal or foreign countries,” he said when asked about exact number of novel coronavirus patients, who have toured outside the state or India.

Dr Ashish Manna, medical superintendent-cum-vice-principal of ID Hospital said, “Most of the COVID positive cases are undergoing treatment in the critical care unit (CCU) in our hospital because they need life-support system like oxygen and ventilator. Nine such patients are being treated in the CCU so far I know till this afternoon.”

“I have no idea whether any student from the MCH is admitted to our hospital. I will check it with concerned doctors,” he added.

He said that around 200 beds have already been earmarked for COVID patients at the ID Hospital since 2020 while the number of CCU berths is 68.