Covid-19, Nipah virus, what makes Kerala first state to report cases of virus in India

As Covid-19 cases have been rising once again the world over, especially in India, Singpore, Hong Kong and other Asian countries, one question that comes to mind is that whenever a new virus spreads in India, be it Coronavirus, Nipah virus or others, the first state in India to report the number of such cases is Kerala. This is the first state which shows the red flag of any new virus. In the first occurrence of Covid-19, the first case in India was reported from Kerala when a 20-year-old student returned from Wuhan to Thrissur on January 30, 2020, with the first infection. Even in 2025 when new cases have been reported in India, Kerala is one among two other states that have reported the most cases.  

The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) convened a review meeting on Monday with experts from National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), Emergency Medical Relief (EMR) division, Disaster Management Cell, Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) and central government hospitals. The expert review meeting concluded that the current COVID-19 situation in India remains under control. 

What makes Kerala report cases of virus first?

However, the reason that we see cases being first reported from Kerala does not show its weakness but a sign of a robust and most efficient health infrastructure. Its disease surveillance system is highly active and advanced than that of even the central government. The health system is linked to the lower levels as every district has its own team including virologists and infection control officers who monitor the coronavirus trend daily.  

After Thrissur reported its first case of Covid-19, the central government and other states started making the same arrangements as that of the state disease control model. For example, door-to-door screening, training of local health volunteers, real-time digital health records, and decentralised tracking systems. 

The latest wave of Coronavirus disease or COVID-19 has hit many countries in Southeast Asia, with the spread of new Omicron sub variants like jN.1. India, too has reported 164 fresh cases of Covid 19, including Maharashtra, Gujarat, Delhi and Rajasthan.