Covid-19: Day after, infected student’s close contacts screened at private varsity

The 21-year-old’s nearly 150 close contacts, including some students from Bhutan, were screened

The health department on Sunday started screening at a Phagwara-based private university of the close contacts of a 21-year-old girl student who was found positive for the coronavirus a day before.

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The blood samples of the student, who is pursuing bachelor of physiotherapy and hails from Maharashtra, were taken by the department on Friday after the varsity authorities found her symptomatic of Covid-19 during a routine check-up.

The 21-year-old’s nearly 150 close contacts, including some students from Bhutan, were screened on Sunday. She has been kept in the isolation ward of the Kapurthala civil hospital and is stated to be stable.

Health officials said the patient has no travel history as she has been living in the hostel for last two months along with her two roommates.

“Her two roommates left for home on March 25 and March 27. We have informed the officials concerned in their area to take their blood samples,” civil surgeon Dr Jasmit Kaur Bawa said.

The department has prepared a list of their close contacts, including 60 students in her hostel block and 15 staff members and mess workers whose blood samples will be taken.

She said the suspected patients will be kept in quarantine in the university.

Kapurthala deputy commissioner Dipti Uppal said all those present on the varsity campus, including around 2,000 students and 500 staff members, will be examined and no one will be allowed to move out till then.

On Sunday, there was panic among students on the varsity campus and the health department teams and police had a tough time convincing them to cooperate for a screening.