With 25 more students tested positive for COVID-19, the number of cases reached 55 at Indian Institute of Technology (IIT-Madras), State Health Secretary Dr. J Radhakrishnan said on Saturday.

Dr. Radhakrishnan said that 1,420 samples were collected from students and faculty of which 55 came out positive. On Friday, 18 students tested positive for the virus.

The health secretary said all the Covid-19 patients on campus have mild symptoms, while only a few have fever. Their oxygen saturation level is 98-99.

Mandagini hostel is reportedly the site of the Covid-19 cluster at IIT-Madras. First year students from 13 states arrived at the hostel recently, and it is suspected that one of the new students might have been the carrier. Covid tests are being conducted in all 19 hostels on campus.

State Health Secretary Radhakrishnan had earlier said that the gradual increase of Covid cases was worrying. "Based on the genome analysis of the cases, 90 per centre Omicron cases of BA.2 variant," he had said.

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