COVID-19: Social gatherings and not returning migrants caused the spread in Indian city

Patna: Weddings, social functions and lack of social distancing, rather than the returning migrant workers, caused the spread of COVID-19 infections in Bihar’s capital city of Patna, a study has said.

More than three million migrants who returned to the state since last year’s nationwide lockdown have been blamed for the spread of infections.

The study titled “Learning From COVID-19 cases — A Sociological Study of Patna District, Bihar” said despite the return of a large number of migrants, there had not been any major spread of virus due to them. “The BDOs (block development officers) also confirmed that there had not been,” said the study done by a former bureaucrat KC Saha who served in many capacities in Bihar and at the federal government.

In view of the Covid outbreak in the country, the national lockdown was enforced from March 24, 2020 to May 31, 2020. The study said the migrants faced untold hardship during their return. They were quarantined in isolation centres and were allowed to go to their villages only after the quarantine period of 14 days. Some migrants might have reached their villages bypassing the Isolation centres. “In many villages, the Mukhiyas (village council chiefs) and other villagers did not allow the migrants to go to their homes directly and insisted that they stayed in isolation centres set up in the villages,” the study said.

According to the study, intermingling of people in busy markets, marriages and other social functions largely contributed to the spread of the disease. “The infection amongst women increased during marriages due to the custom of singing in groups for a few days before the wedding,” the study claimed.

The 32-page study made startling revelations about how the spread of infection was negligible in slum areas but “severe in towns”. The data of 23,344 positive cases of Patna town analysed during the study suggested that COVID-19 virus spread had been severe in the town, but it mentioned a very interesting phenomenon.

“None of the slums reported a single case of COVID-19 whereas many VIP areas of the town confirmed a number of cases. Except for 3-4 persons, none of the 7,300 sanitary staff of the PMC (Patna Municipal Corporation) who mostly stay in slums or their family members had been affected by COVID-19,” said the study.

According to the study, lack of social distancing and people’s negligence in using face masks contributed towards the second wave in Patna. During the second wave, the migrant labourers did not return to Bihar in large numbers but many families returned during the Holi festival, it said.

The study revealed there had been a crisis of hospital beds and other support due to the sudden surge in the number of cases from April 15, 2021 to May 1, 2021, but the situation eased due to the steps taken by the State Government.

At the same time, the study made certain recommendations to strengthen efforts to handle such pandemics in future. The study said it would be useful to prepare Health Disaster Management Plans and Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) based on the experience of COVID-19 and continuously updating those plans based on new evidence to enhance epidemic preparedness in the state. The SOPs should include the constitution of the Emergency Operating Centre and the Technical Advisory Com-mittee at the State and the District level.

The study also suggested setting up additional Primary Health Centres, strengthening of existing Primary Health Centres, Community Health Centres and district hospitals.