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Coronavirus: Officials trace 38 who came in contact with infected Gzb businessman
The district health department officials on Friday said that they have roped in several teams and also alerted health officers in Hapur, Meerut and Bulandshahr,
The district health department officials on Friday said that they have roped in several teams and also alerted health officers in Hapur, Meerut and Bulandshahr, whose residents came in direct or indirect contact with a 57-year-old Ghaziabad businessman who tested positive for Novel Coronavirus.
The businessman is presently admitted at Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital in Delhi. He had returned to India from Tehran on February 23 and the state officials received information about his travel on March 1. The Ghaziabad health department sent his samples for testing on March 3. The man tested positive for the virus a day later.
“We have come to know about 38 persons with whom he came in direct and indirect contact. Eleven of them came in direct contact with him. Apart from Ghaziabad, he had contact with people from Bulandshahr, Hapur and Meerut. Teams of World Health Organisation along with our health department are trying to trace people who came in his contact since he arrived in India,” said Dr NK Gupta, chief medical officer (CMO).
“We have conveyed the information to the CMOs of three districts and have also shared details of people who came in contact with the patient after he landed in India. The samples of his wife and son have also been sent for testing. Besides this, we have also sent samples of two staff who took the man in an advanced life-support (ALS) ambulance to Delhi. His other local contacts — in his office and otherwise — are also being closely monitored,” Dr Gupta added.
The officials said that they have also dedicated one 108 and one ALS ambulances to ferry patients suspected to have coronavirus to Delhi.
“We have sent 15 samples for testing and two of them include minors who travelled with their parents to Kuwait and returned to Indian 2 to 3 days ago. Both had developed symptoms of fever, cough and cold and went for a checkup to a private doctor. Their information was referred to us and samples were taken. We are also awaiting test results for a 20-year-old man who came in contact with a Delhi based patient who was found positive after travelling back to India from Italy,” said GK Mishra, district malaria officer.
So far, the Ghaziabad health department officials said that 200 people have been screened, 40 of who are still under surveillance. Of the 15 samples sent so far, reports of seven were found negative for the virus, while one man has tested positive.
