ERNAKULAM: Following a surge in cases of covid-19, especially those returning from countries in the Gulf, Kerala is fast realising that the bulk of the cases may have roots in what was once a camel market, miles away in the Arabian desert.
Nearly 70% of 215 active patients in Kerala have links to Naif, a locality in Dubai that was once a camel market and is now a busy, commercial hub, according to a state health department official, who did not want to be named.
Many of these returnees, or their primary contacts, are now suffering from covid-19 at Kerala's largest hotspots, Kasargod and Kannur, the official said.