Key Covid-19 patients spread infection to family, colleagues
KOLKATA/ PUNE/ JAIPUR/ LUDHIANA: Fresh cases of the Covid-19 disease emerged around the country, as the global pandemic, which has killed more than 322,000 around the world, continued to spread. In particular, the family members and co-workers of key Covid-19 patients have contracted the virus.
In Kolkata, two family members of the 22-year-old resident of south Kolkata who returned from London on March 13 have tested positive. A domestic help who worked for the family has also tested positive of the virus. The youth had visited his father’s sanitaryware shops on S P Mukherjee Road and Ishwar Ganguly Street in the Kalighat area, before testing positive on March 19.
In all, 11 people, including members of the youth’s family and his father’s employees, are in isolation in state-run facilities.
Pune’s positive Covid-19 case of a 41-year-old woman admitted at Bharati hospital has transmitted the infection to her son, brother-in-law, sister and sister’s daughter. Six more people related to her have also been admitted to the hospital and their results are awaited, Pune Municipal Corporation assistant health chief, Dr Sanjeev Wavavre confirmed.
A central team was sent to investigate this case as the Sinhgad road resident did not have a history of foreign travel. A driver who drove her to Navi Mumbai before she began to exhibit the symptoms has also been quarantined.
In Bhilwara, Rajasthan, 11 persons, including two doctors and three compounders who work at a private hospital in the city tested positive after another doctor who works there tested positive two days ago.
The private Brijesh Bangar hospital is now under the scanner of the health department for negligence.
In Punjab, seven more people from Banga sub-division in SBS Nagar district tested positive on Sunday. All of them had come in contact with a 70-year-old man of Pathlawa village who died due to the infection last week. Of the seven persons, four are members of the septuagenarian’s family, while two returned with him from Germany via Italy. The Pathlawa sarpanch, who was in contact the deceased has also tested positive for the virus, SBS Nagar civil surgeon Dr Rajinder Prasad Bhatia said.
According to the World Health Organisation, in Stage II or local transmission of the pandemic —we are in this stage, according to the Indian Council of Medical Reseach — those who come in close contact with the infected person are most at risk. It has also advised distancing from a family member who is infected besides taking a host of precautions.