In India Kerala was the first state where the first case of Covid-19 has been confirmed on 30th January 2020.As of 24 April there have been 450 confirmed cases with 3 deaths and 331 recoveries in the Kerala state. Kerala state has the lowest mortality rate of 0.67% among all states in the country. This was not the first time when this state is fighting a deadly epidemic. In 2018, the Kerala state had dealt with an outbreak of Nipah a brain damaging virus that like as the coronavirus. This virus was reported from Kozhikode district of Kerala, had originated in bats and transferred to humans. And as with covid- 19 pandemic there was no cure and no vaccine. Seventeen people had died due to that pandemic but the World Health Organization (WHO) called Kerala’s handling of the outbreak a “success story” since despite technical shortfalls Kerala states health system had contained a potential disaster. But this time they would need to go much faster. Kerala has started from a strong baseline. It is socioeconomic development is an example that investments in human capital can do for prosperity and poverty reduction. It has better health outcomes and hugely higher literacy rates than the rest of India. Kerala has long been a Communist party strong hold while its policies remain moderately social democratic. Some of his state strengths are is also its weakness, the skilled workers of the state are its major export which receives more remittances from abroad than anywhere else in India, much of this comes from the Middle Eastand it is also a hub of large tourism. These are factors that expose states population to a greater risk of transmission.The first three confirmed patients in this state were Indian students living in Wuhan, China who had returned their home during the Chinese new year. The reason why the state of Kerala has managed to come out the other side so speedily is because of its clear risk communication, strong public health system and community participation. Despite states communist rule, its healthcare system is highly privatized with a healthy division of labour between the private and public sectors. A strict lockdown was implemented by the government before the national like gatherings were banned, schools were shut, a stricter and longer quarantine than the national norm was organized and a few religious people who still insisted on praying in groups were even arrested by the authorities.
This iron fist move was matched by socially valuable outreach policies. The Supplies were delivered at home, midday meals were sent to children from schools even when schools were not opened, migrant laborers from other states were taken care of, proper and clear communication channels were established to banish fake news, and mental health helplines were established by the state. The campaign of “break the chain” to limit the Covid-19 spread was done successful.When unpredicted events potentially exposed many of people to infection, thousands of state employed health workers and volunteers equipped with flowcharts and maps conducted aggressive contact tracing and took the situation under control. This state has been an all of society approach,all of government with even students chipping in, building walk-in booths for taking samples inspired by the South Korean model.
Kerala was the first state to using the centrally procured real time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing kits also procure rapid test kits from the Pune based Mylab. Most of the people think that coronavirus is a mild infection and can go away without treatment and therefore, it can be missed easily. It is badly possibly also for the same reason. As rich, well developed hospital systems across the world which have opted for a spaghetti western style clash with the corona virus is speedily getting overrun, maybe there are lessons to be learned from the community oriented, nimble footed, cautiously aggressive approach that Kerala chosen for. While now the curve has been flattened and transmission has limited.The main fact is that Kerala is also riding the tiger of a strict lockdown in the whole of the country. Kerala objective is to lift restrictions soon. How the lockdown will ease safely will all depend on a large number of factors. But one thing that is very clear is when the next wave of this Covid -19 hits which it will, the state will be fully ready.